


Demonology

by Lbliss21490



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Crime Fighting, Drug Use, F/M, Human Trafficking, Lemon, Lime, Romance, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-03-11 15:46:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 55,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13527471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lbliss21490/pseuds/Lbliss21490
Summary: Kagome just moved to NYC from San Francisco's China Town.  Trying to put her past behind her, she ends up meeting Inuyasha, an MMA fighter in the top fight club in NYC, but there's something he's hiding and as more girls begin to disappear to the demon underground, it's up to Inuyasha and Kagome to get to the bottom of it while resisting each other's charm.





	1. Welcome to the Dog's Den and New York

Author’s Note: So I started writing this fanfic quite a while ago, easily a year ago, and as I have been thinking about it, I decided to reread it and realized how much potential this particular story had, and I realized how much I hated the original drafts. It was just awful. I came up with a more detailed plot, changed a few story details, and did a little bit of research. This is the new first chapter, and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. He is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and I am making no profit from this story at all.

 

Kagome stood in front of her new school, scared beyond belief. 

 

She was 19 years old and starting her first day of college after taking a year off. Her hand clutched her back pack with white knuckles and her knees shook as the crowds of New Yorkers walked past her. 

 

She had just moved to New York City, leaving her past completely behind her. She was accepted into New York University with a major in Paranormal Studies, concentrating in Demonology. There were several different concentrations to have, but the thought of demons had excited her. She heard they often disguised themselves as humans, sometimes they were giants. Demons had such a variety about them that drew her like nothing ever had before. 

 

New York also had a certain charm to it. Being from a big city herself, she felt she could get used to the big city life, but what she didn’t realize is that New York City was a lot bigger and a lot different than San Francisco.

 

Demons came out of hiding ten years ago, along with all of the paranormal beings. Vampires, Werewolves, even Spirits and Ghosts. Many whack jobs were dancing in the streets from how excited they were to see that they weren’t crazy, but many others became shut-ins as the streets filled with the paranormal beings. The world was getting smaller, but there was so much to learn. New York City was the melting pot of the world already, so Demons especially felt drawn to the city. Ghosts and Spirits were drawn to older cities like London, Istanbul, Paris, even Rome. Vampires seemed to favor Chicago. To everyone’s surprise, Werewolves and other Were-Creatures were drawn to the Northwest Americas and even Siberia, mostly because of the vast hunting grounds. Each city had a small pocket of each of these, but New York was the demon capital of the world, proudly harboring over four million demons.

 

Since they were so new to the human population, they didn’t hold the same rights as humans did because they were considered dangerous and aggressive. Most businesses had “NO DEMONS” posted in their windows, or they had special hours demons could be in their business, often at low peak hours. Typically the best night clubs were hosted by Vampires, and humans who were drawn to the strange and paranormal would often frequent these clubs in hopes of being accepted as normal. 

 

Having grown up in China Town, San Francisco, Kagome had heard the ancient stories of demons her entire life. Her grandfather, especially, would speak of demons. When the demons came out of hiding, he didn’t even seem surprised. Kagome remembered how her family had reacted to the news, and while her family seemed surprised, Kagome herself was enchanted by the idea that demons walked among humans.

 

Kagome took another deep breath and willed herself to go on the campus of her new school. To her, the campus was a city within the city of New York. She figured it was mostly humans on campus, but NYU had recently passed rules where anyone, or anything, could attend the school. For many of the demonology classes, they had actual demons come in and talk to the students to talk about their supernatural powers. History classes also had demons from different time periods talk of their everyday lives, and even one vampire from England came in for a night lecture to talk about how he had become a vampire over two thousand years prior.

 

The wind blew causing shivers to run up Kagome’s spine. She could hear music being played on the green, people talking, the sounds of New York. She was struggling with finding her dorm and found that it was just off campus. She stared up at the building and took a deep breath. She walked in and received her key. She was on the Paranormal themed floor, the only one at NYU. The hallways had garlic hanging from the ceiling, sutras on the doors. She laughed to herself, thinking that it was odd that they had all the enchantments to keep the paranormals away from the floor. Alas, though, she figured that there was paranoid Paranormal major’s as well. She found her dorm room and saw the door was open, seeing a young woman unpacking boxes in what Kagome assumed was her roommates side of the room.

 

“Oh, hey,” the girl said, straightening out her clothes. She was tall and athletic, wearing black slacks with chains and straps, a crop top that was ripped to be just below her breasts, the sleeves of the shirt ripped off. Her stomach held a blood red gem in the belly button ring. She wore hot pink eye shadow with thick black eyeliner. Her straight, black hair was in a ponytail high on her head. Kagome had to take a moment to realize that her roommate had almond shaped eyes.

 

“Hi,” Kagome stuttered, shaking her roommate’s hand. The roommate shook the hand and looked at Kagome up and down. Kagome wasn’t petit by any means, but definitely shorter than the punk rocker. Her skirt was dark blue plaid that hung to her mid thighs. Her oversized black sweater hung on a small frame, making her look smaller than she really was. Her black hair was wind swept and hung low down her back. Minimal make up, if any at all. What surprised the roommate the most was that she had large, clunky glasses on and what appeared to be a fading bruise under her left eye.

 

“I’m Sango, by the way. You must be new to New York,” Sango states, not even questioning it. Kagome looked at the floor, embarrassed.

 

“Is it that obvious?” she stuttered.

 

Sango crossed her arms and smiled. “Oh, it’s painfully obvious. Come in, your stuff arrived this morning.”

 

Sango turned around and continued to unpack her things. Kagome started to open the boxes and unpack her room, unsure of what to say to her roommate. She felt like they were total opposites.

 

“So what’s a little girl like you doing at NYU?”

 

Kagome wasn’t even fazed. She was finding most New Yorkers were overly forward. “I’m studying Demonology here,” she replied. 

 

Sango dropped the box she was holding and turned to Kagome, her jaw wide open. “Shut the fuck up. They’d eat you alive,” Sango half yelled. She grabbed Kagome’s shoulder and spun her around, getting a closer look at her. She noticed Kagome had several scars on her body. Tiny and difficult to see, but if one looked close enough, they were there. Most of which were on the insides of her thighs. “Where are you from?”

 

“China Town, San Francisco,” she squeaked. “But my family is Japanese. At least, my mother is.”

 

“I’m Japanese too, but I was raised in Queens. You ever been to New York before coming here?”

 

“No, today is the first time I’ve ever been to New York.”

 

Sango smiled, walking around Kagome once more, taking in the girls figure. She had potential. “I’m also studying demonology, but I’m on the law enforcement side, specifically licensing. Do you know what I mean by that?”

 

Kagome shook her head in dissent. “It means that I work for the city going to bars to make sure that the fight clubs that are licensed to host humans are keeping up their end of the bargain.”

 

“Fight clubs?” 

 

“Yeah, fight clubs. It’s an easy way to make money for demons. They’re allowed to kill each other as long as nobody else gets hurt. In exclusive demon clubs no humans are allowed, but there are a few clubs that let humans go in and watch. My job is to make sure they’re not over capacity and that all safeguards are in place.”

 

“But you’re a student, aren’t you?” Kagome asked, wondering how someone who was easily her age was working a job so important.

 

“Sharp eye. I’m actually an intern. But my boss usually just has me do it. It’s a win-win.”

 

There was an urgent knock at the door and Sango went to answer it. A tall man was on the other side, a small pony tail at the base of his neck and two gold hoop earrings in his left ear. He also looked strangely Asian, but his eyes were a dark blue. He also was particularly brawny for an Asian man, causing Kagome to assume he was half American. 

 

“Miroku, what do you need today?”

 

The man gave Sango a playful smile and put his hand on his chest. “Oh Sango, you wound me. Am I not allowed to visit you?”

 

Sango threw her head back and laughed. “You only visit me if you want something. What is it?”

 

Miroku took her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm. “I just wanted to gaze up on the woman who has stolen my heart time and time again. Is that so wrong?”

 

Sango pulled her hand away. “Whatever. Meet my new roommate, she’s new to town. Kagome, this is my friend Miroku.”

 

Miroku curtsied, “My lady.”

 

Kagome let out a giggle. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“So, Sango, there’s supposed to be a big fight tonight. Are you going?”

 

Sango sat on her bed and pinched her chin in thought. “Maybe. Should we bring the fresh meat? Give her a real taste of New York Demon life?”

 

Sango thought about it. She remembered reading about Kagome in the welcome packet. She was young, it didn’t say her age. Looking at Kagome, Sango wondered if she was the type of girl she was looking for…

 

“Is she old enough?” Miroku asked, looking at Kagome, giving her a soft smile.

 

“Good point. How old are you, Kagome?” Sango replied.

 

Kagome thought about it. It’d be fun to get out in the town. However, she was only 19, and she knew that if it was a bar, there’s no way that she’d be able to go. She remembered she had a fake ID in her wallet. That would work.

 

“I’m 21. Just turned 21,” Kagome lied, hoping that the others didn’t notice the obvious falsity.

 

Kagome could tell that they didn’t quite believe her, but Sango eventually shrugged, as did Miroku. “Fair enough. I’ll pick you both up in a few hours. Sango, please make sure she has something presentable for the club.”

 

“I always dress my lambs before slaughter,” she said with a wink, causing Kagome to get even more frustrated. She felt like they were talking about her when she was right there. “Alright Kagome, you look like you’re my size.”

 

Sango ripped open a box labeled “clothes” and started to rummage through piles of skimpy punk clothes. She pulled out a leather zip up mini skirt, a garter belt, fishnet stockings, a fishnet shirt, and a red crop top. 

 

“Try these on,” Sango said, handing the array of clothes to Kagome.

 

The leather skirt was barely a scrap of clothing, making Kagome nervous. The zipper was in the front of the skirt, which could easily be unzipped up to the top, revealing her crotch. The garters would show a good inch before holding up the knee-high stockings. The fishnet top was also a crop top, just covering her arms and shoulders. 

 

“I don’t think this is really my style,” Kagome muttered, holding up the garments.

 

Sango found a red lace push up bra and handed it to Kagome. “32 C, right? Trust me, you need to blend in at this place. With what you’re wearing now, you’re going to be grabbed by every demon there. Blending in will keep their paws off you.”

 

She bit her lip and sighed. She had no friends. Her family was gone. She was feeling so incredibly lonely. If she did this, she might finally have a friend and meet some new people. She would learn the demon culture first hand.

 

She took the bra and began to undress, putting on the outfit in pure defeat.

-*-*-

Miroku was waiting on the street for Sango and Kagome to emerge. He knew that the undefeated Half-Demon hybrid was going to be fighting this particular evening, and he never missed his fights. Miroku had begun going to the demon fights a year ago and after being saved by the silver haired half demon, they became good friends immediately. Miroku always made a point to go to his fights, and the half-demon always made a point to give him front row seats to the action. 

 

Sango walked out wearing a short purple mini skirt with bare legs and black spike heels. Her top was a fishnet crop top that showed a black bra underneath. Her hair was down, cascades framing her face and shoulders. She wore the same make up as before, but had a dark crimson lipstick accenting her face.

 

Kagome was unrecognizable. Her hair was styled the same as Sango’s, with the fishnet shirt and a black tube top underneath, the red bra straps showing on her shoulders. The shirt stopped just short of her breasts, exposing her flat stomach down to her hips, where the black leather skirt was tight, stopping only a few inches short of the top of her thigh. The garters held up the thigh high fishnets about two inches below the skirt and large, knee high lace up boots finished the look. Her make-up was soft smoky eye and a pink gloss.

 

“Sango, did I have to show so much skin for this?” Kagome whispered as they walked. 

 

“Yep,” Sango replied flatly, taking Miroku’s arm. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a black tank top and a black leather jacket. 

 

“You know Sango, you could have put her in the leather pants and boots,” Miroku pointed out, watching as Kagome was struggling to make sure the skirt didn’t ride up.

 

“Nope, have you ever seen anyone wear pants in the club?” Sango asked.

 

“You. When we first started watching Inuyasha,” Miroku defended.

 

Sango thought about it. “But I got hit on by a lot of female demons. I’d rather that not happen to Kagome.”

 

Kagome struggled to keep up with the couple ahead of her, noticing that the farther they walked, the more shady the neighborhoods looked. When they walked into Harlem, she felt like she was in trouble. She didn’t know much about Harlem, only what she heard from songs and movies. They turned down an alley and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

 

“Where are we going?” Kagome whispered loudly, trying hard to keep up with Miroku and Sango. They were so at ease walking in this area, she felt helpless.

 

“Stay close, we’re almost there,” Miroku consoled, but not answering her question.

 

The trio continued to walk through the alleys until they came upon a set of stairs leading down into a basement. There was a tall man at the door who was pure muscle. His arms were crossed and he was wearing only black. He had no hair but was covered in what looked like purple stripe tattoos. When Kagome got a closer look, she saw that the mans eyes were the same color as his tattoos. Also, his ears were strangely pointed.

 

“Hey Sango, Miroku. I figured I’d see you both tonight. Your fighter was rescheduled , but the blood bath is still on,” the man said in a heavily accented voice. 

 

“No problem, our friend is new to town and she’s interested in demon culture. We figure we’d be her body guard for the night.”

 

The man looked over Kagome. “She’s cute. But is she old enough?”

 

Kagome pulled out her fake ID and handed it to the man. He looked at it closely. He gave her a knowing look, causing her to shake. She was busted. She knew that he would throw her out and she’d be banned for life. She was afraid of making the demon before her angry. He held her eye contact for a full minute before giving her a joking smile while handing back her ID.

 

Kagome’s jaw dropped as the man pulled the rope back. As Kagome walked in, he handed her the ID. “Just put on a brave face. We’re not completely blood thirsty.”

 

She shook her head, her eyes the size of dinner plates. She scuttled inside after Miroku and Sango, who walked straight to the bar. He stopped her when her new friends were out of sight, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “Get a better ID next time. I won’t let you through again otherwise.”

 

Kagome nodded and ran ahead, catching up with Sango who was at the bar ordering their drinks.

 

“Two Mai Tai’s please,” Sango yelled out to the bartender. This woman had red hair and turquoise eyes, also with pointed ears. It also looked like she had a fluffy tail pinned to her brown leather skirt. With inhuman speed, the drinks were set before them and Sango put her card on the bar, prompting a tab. Kagome snatched her drink nervously and began to gulp. 

 

Miroku was craning his head above the crowd looking for someone. Kagome was twisting her hands, scared and overly nervous. Sango pushed the orange drink into her hand. “Don’t be so nervous,” Sango whispered. “You’re in the nicest fight club in Manhattan.”

 

The drink in Kagome’s hands was drained fairly quickly, prompting Sango to order her another drink. Miroku had a disappointed look on his face.

 

“What’s wrong?” Sango asked him, sipping her own drink, watching Kagome chug her second drink. 

 

“I thought he’d be here tonight, but I don’t see him anywhere. He was supposed to fight but something went down.”

 

“Who?” Kagome piped up, feeling the alcohol lower her inhibitions. She was feeling far more relaxed, and was craving another one of the drinks.

 

“Oh, this guy named Inuyasha. He’s one of the best fighters. I’ve known him for about a year now. Fun guy.”

 

Kagome finished her drink and went to the bar, waiving down the bartender. “Hey, can I get another one of these fruity drinks?”

 

The bartender looked at her suspiciously. “How many of those have you had?”

 

“Just two.”

 

The bartender raised her eyebrow at her and made the drink far faster than any human could. A new drink was pushed into her hand. “Sango’s tab, right?”

 

Kagome nodded and took the drink, finding her way back to the couple, but didn’t see them anywhere. Panic began to set in. She started to drink faster, draining her third drink. She brought the glass back to the bar and began wandering around, looking for familiar faces.

 

She made it towards the front of the fighting ring, feeling the alcohol take effect far more quickly than she would have liked. Like a brick wall, she felt the room begin to spin, her mind foggy and her body loose. She started to stumble around the bar in a frenzy looking for the familiar face of her roommate and her friend.

 

She tripped over someone’s foot and fell face first into a man’s lap, knocking over the table that held his drink. The drink fell into the lap of a woman at the table and the woman jumped up in anger.

 

“Watch where you’re going, you stupid human!” yelled the woman. Kagome looked up and saw the woman had short purple hair and blood red eyes. Kagome quickly got herself up and straightened her clothes, but felt herself falling again. The man she fell into stood up and caught her, holding her up.

 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked her. Kagome looked up to see deep set amber eyes looking into her own. His hair was silver and fell to his lower back, his skin was tan with an olive tint to it. He looked relatively human except for the small dog ears on the top of his head. She felt nervous considering he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Just low riding black cargo pants with chains and straps hanging off of them. He wore a silver chain on his neck with dog tags, causing Kagome to stifle a giggle.

 

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she slurred, trying to push herself away to stand up, but she struggled to stay standing. He caught her arm.

 

“No, you’re not,” he stated. “Did you come here alone?”

 

She shook her head. “I came here with my roommate, but I lost her.”

 

“Who’s your roommate?”

 

“Sango… I don’t know her last name,” Kagome muttered. She was hating herself right now, she should have known her roommates last name. “I came with her and… her friend? Miroku I think his name was?”

 

“Stay here, I’ll find them. Don’t move,” he ordered, and she had no complaints. He disappeared into the crowd and a few minutes later Sango and Miroku appeared with the demon behind them.

 

“Where did you go?” Sango asked, kneeling down to look at the very drunk Kagome.

 

“I went to get another drink and you disappeared,” Kagome slurred again, feeling the alcohol stabilize in her stomach. She realized that she hadn’t eaten that day.

 

Sango looked at Kagome hard. “Why did you want another drink?”

 

“Makes me less nervous. There’s so many people here.”

 

Kagome stood up, finding her balance and determined to stand up straight. “I fell in this guys lap and he went and found you guys. I also spilled a drink on a girl I think was a demon. She was pretty pissed.”

 

The silver haired demon began laughing. “Yeah, she was a demon.”

 

“Thanks for finding her, Inuyasha. She’s new to New York,” Miroku told Inuyasha.

 

“Inuyasha? This is the demon you said is such a good fighter?” Kagome exclaimed. “Wow! I’ve never met a fighter before!”

 

Inuyasha smiled, showing his fangs. “Someone’s been bragging about me. Did they say anything else?”

 

“No, should they have?” Kagome asked innocently. 

 

He just gave her a smile that she couldn’t read. “I’d ask if you want a drink, but you seem a little drunk.”

 

She blushed at his comment. “Yeah I haven’t eaten since I got off the plane. I guess I underestimated how much liquor I can handle.”

 

He couldn’t help but smile at her once more. She was cute. Very young, but cute. He could also tell she wasn’t used to wearing such skimpy clothing. She didn’t even notice that the front zipper was dangerously high, he was occasionally get glimpses at her red panties. 

 

“Well how about we all get out of here and get a bite to eat?” Miroku suggested. Sango began to give him a sour look but when she saw how intently Inuyasha was staring at the young vixen, she nodded in agreement.

 

-*-*-

The great thing about New York City is that it is the city that never sleeps. Kagome had heard this term several times, and while her home town of San Francisco was similar, it was nothing compared to New York. They walked back closer to the University and found a small ramen shop. The group walked in and ordered their ramen, Inuyasha’s arm slowly making its way around Kagome’s waist. Kagome hardly noticed, feeling the pains in her stomach from the alcohol and the hunger. She sat down next to Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku on the opposite side. There were a few people in the restaurant, but many people were giving Inuyasha dirty looks.

 

“Inuyasha… you may want to…” Miroku began to say, but Inuyasha held his hands up in understanding.

 

“I’ll be right back,” he said, making his way to the bathroom. A few minutes later Inuyasha reappeared, but his hair was black and his eyes were a dark blue. His dog ears were gone. He was also wearing a baggy tshirt. When he sat down, Kagome had to do a double take to make sure that it was the same person.

 

“Appearance spell, usually demons aren’t really welcomed in any business after dark,” he explained, taking a drink of the bubble tea set before him. “So Kagome, where are you from?”

 

It took Kagome a moment to realize he was speaking to her. She was confused for a moment, then spoke slowly as to not slur her speech. “I was raised in Chinatown, San Francisco, but my family is Japanese.”

 

He smiled. “I was born in Japan, do you speak the language as well?”

 

“A little, but it was never really my strong suit. I mostly like the folklore.”

 

Miroku and Sango watched as the two chatted the night away, unable to get a word in. The exhaustion showed on Kagome’s face the longer they were there, and after getting food into her the dark circles began to show through the thick make up. Inuyasha seemed unfazed by her exhaustion, finding excuses to continue talking with Kagome.

 

After the meal was done, Miroku and Sango stood up to leave. “We’re heading out, it’s getting way too late for us. You coming with me Kagome? Or do you want Inuyasha to walk you back?”

 

Kagome was mostly sober at this point, looking at the couple in front of her and looking over to Inuyasha. 

 

“I don’t mind walking you back. You live with Sango, right?”

 

“I’ll have Inuyasha walk me back,” Kagome said, giving her roommate a nervous smile. Sango gave her a reassuring smile, as did Miroku. Kagome felt nervous 

 

“I better get her back in one piece, or you’re dead,” Sango barked at Inuyasha, causing everyone to laugh.

 

Shortly after Sango and Miroku left, Inuyasha threw a few bills on the table and stood up. “How about we walk around for a bit? It’s easier to walk and talk.”

 

She stood and followed Inuyasha, who offered his arm once they were on the street. They strolled slowly through the city, the endless lights in every direction caught their attention. Kagome was feeling more comfortable with him each passing moment. For Kagome, this was a strange feeling. For a long time, she hadn’t trusted anyone. She felt like her trust was a bit preemptive, but something told her that he was trustworthy.

 

Kagome thought about the last time she had been with a man. Her ex-boyfriend Hojo was less than desirable. They dated all through high school and right after graduation, there was… Kagome shook her head, not wanting to think about it. It was incredibly painful for her to think about. She was enjoying her evening with Inuyasha. He excited her in a way that she had never felt before. 

 

Touching Inuyasha’s arm, hearing his smooth voice talk, she felt a warmth in her belly that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She felt like she could trust him, even if he was a half-demon and even if he was a fighter.

 

They felt a natural connection, something she was afraid was because of how lonely she was, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. Casual sex and open relationships were more the norm now than ever before. When school started and once she got a job she wouldn’t have time for a relationship, but right now, in this moment, she might feel a night of warmth and pretend that for just tonight, she was worth a second glance.

 

Inuyasha wanted to kiss her. Her lips had lost their glossy sheen and looked soft and plump. She reminded him of a love he had long before he ever came to America, in a time of mysticism and feudal lords, but to him, she was different. She was lonely, far lonelier than he was, and he knew that they could make any night special.

 

He saw an alley coming up and when they began to walk past it, he pulled her into it. She was about to scream but he pressed his lips against hers before she could protest. She was surprised at first, but the explosion of fire in her stomach, heating her thighs and warming her blood was not to be ignored. Her body took over, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, unable to satisfy the hunger that was insatiable with his kiss alone. His hands wandered down to squeeze her soft flesh beneath the leather skirt. She was thinner than he realized, but not sickly. He heard her moan and he felt himself grow more excited, pressing himself against her completely so she could feel what she did to him.

 

The kiss broke and they were both panting for breath, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen. Her eyes were half lidded and filled with desire, something he couldn’t ignore easily.

 

“I live right by here,” he gasped, kissing her frantically. She wove her fingers in his long hair, feeling his heart pound in his chest as he pressed his body flush to hers.

 

She kissed him back, nerves destroying her resolve. She wanted to go back to his place, her body was screaming for a release that she had no way of satisfying, and she knew that if she followed this man, this half-demon, back to his apartment, there was a good chance he would satisfy her in every way.

 

But a small voice in the back of her head was nagging her. It’ll end just like it did with Hojo.

 

She gently pushed away, nerves taking over.

 

“Maybe not tonight,” she whispered, turning her head away from him. She realized that his concealment spell was gone, his dog ears twitching from the cool night air. 

 

He was hurt, to say the least. But seeing how bashful she looked, he understood.

 

“You’re right, let’s get you home,” he whispered, thinking about how cold his shower later was going to have to be.

 

They walked in silence back to NYU. When they got to the dorm, he kissed her on the cheek. “I would really like to see you again,” Inuyasha offered. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, writing down his phone number and email.

 

She stared at the paper for a solid minute, deciding on what to do with it. When she looked up, he was gone. 

 

The wind blew and she sighed, trying to figure out if she did the right thing.


	2. Coffee in the City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha goes undercover at a coffee shop to find none other than Kagome serving him. Meanwhile, the news is reporting that homeless are going missing and two demons are discussing it at length.

Author’s Note: Here is chapter two! I’m finally feeling like I’m in a groove.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, he and all characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

A week had passed since the incident with Inuyasha had happened. Kagome had thrown away his number, thinking long and hard about how she really didn’t need any romance in her life right now. While her body craved his touch more than she wanted to ever admit, as time went on, the hunger she felt passed. She knew that hormones were the cause of her reaction that night, but the more she thought about it, the more angry she felt. He just pulled her into an alley and kissed her.

 

Well, I didn’t really mind it. It was kind of hot… The little voice in her head told her. She shook her head. Her hormones were thinking for her and it was pissing her off.

 

He could have been a little more romantic about it.

 

She thought about him a lot. She had never felt such heat with someone. For a few moments, she didn’t feel lonely.

 

“Ugh!” she huffed. She did not need to think about that. She had school to concentrate on. 

 

Sango would often invite Kagome out with her and Miroku, but Kagome soon realized that they were more than just friends. It was incredibly awkward for Kagome to hang out with a couple who were so all over each other, so she began to stay in her dorm room more and more. She was able to land a job in a coffee shop off campus, which kept her fairly busy. 

 

Whenever she was alone and she wasn’t busy, she would think of her gap year between high school and college, causing the depression to seep in. She would force herself to go over more homework, clean up her dorm, anything, to make herself tired enough to no longer dream. The coffee shop job helped a lot since now she was far too exhausted to think about home or the stress of being a student and starting over fresh.

 

She thought back about her life in California. Top of her class, student body president. She was a good girl. She did everything her family expected her to do. She took care of her little brother, she had a part time job down the street, she was straight A’s and played sports. Her boyfriend at the time was just as goody-two-shoes as she was, in all the same classes as well. 

 

She had been walking to her first day at the coffee shop and stopped, wiping a tear away from her eye. 

 

“Not today. It’s all behind me now. I’m not thinking about any of it.”

 

She shook her head, throwing her hair everywhere. She got a couple of strange looks as she pulled her hair into a high pony tail. She began walking with more determination, opening the door to the coffee shop to start her first day. Nothing was going to bother her.

 

She put on her apron and began taking orders. Moving around, cleaning, staying busy, this is what Kagome enjoyed. She liked being hands on, talking with people about their days. As she was making a drink she overheard the news.

 

“Today, four more reports of missing individuals has surfaced. At first the residents of New York City have made mention of the dwindling homeless population, many residents think that demons are to blame. “

 

She decided to put it out of her mind, making a mocha when another bit of information was being told.

 

“In other news, an ancient diplomatic demon named Naraku will be visiting New York City in November to discuss ways to better incorporate the demon populations into the mainstream…”

 

She had thought demons had been well included, but seeing the “NO DEMONS AFTER 6 PM” did cause her to realize that perhaps demons were not being treated as fairly as they should.

 

She thought of Inuyasha. He was a half demon, so she wondered how well he was treated. Shaking her head again as she put the mocha on the counter. She wasn’t thinking about him anymore. 

 

Inuyasha was getting dressed in his penthouse, the voice of the small shape shifter barking orders at him.

 

“Sir, do we really need to be doing this today? It seems strange that you would want to do this in broad daylight. Especially since you don’t have any fights scheduled tonight,” the little man said. He was an older gentleman, but his look being a humanoid stopped at his voice. He was a shapeshifter that mostly took the look of being a well-dressed flea that was three feet tall. Myoga was the master of shape shifting and had been indebted to Inuyasha for hundreds of years. With just a few drops of blood, Myoga could change himself into the person for hours. He would even pick up his mannerisms and if it happened enough times, such as working with Inuyasha for centuries, he would pick up faint memories and emotions from the donor.

 

“Yes, two children and two young women have been kidnapped now. The police are nearly certain that a demon is involved and I need to appear in the demon clubs so that nobody suspects me. Mostly I just need you to socialize and have a few drinks while I sniff around the upper east part of Manhattan,” Inuyasha said, buttoning the top button of his shirt, then unbuttoning it. He didn’t want to look like a complete stiff. He rolled up the sleeves and tucked the black shirt into a pair of blue Levi’s that hung low on his waist. He went into the bathroom and found a potion, drinking it. A moment later his hair turned black and his eyes turned a deep blue. His dog ears disappeared and his claws retracted. He found a second bottle and put it in his pocket.

 

“Aren’t you worried about being spotted in that disguise? Don’t you know a bunch of people on the Upper East?”

 

Inuyasha was getting frustrated with the little demon. He found a hair-binder and began to braid his long hair down his back, tying the bottom. He found some thick rimmed glasses and put them on, making him look less conspicuous. He looked at himself in the mirror and decided to carry a back pack as well, so people would assume he was just a well-dressed student. 

 

“With this disguise, I highly doubt they’ll recognize me. And if they do, I’ll just speak Japanese. I look fresh off the boat, it won’t be difficult to pretend.” He brushed off a few silver hairs on his shirt and stared in the mirror. He looked pretty innocent, so he gave a toothy grin.

 

“Are you ready, sir?” the flea demon asked, and Inuyasha nodded. Myoga jumped up and bit Inuyasha on the neck. While only a few drops would do, Myoga was feeling greedy and gulped down a particularly large amount of blood. Inuyasha punched him off and a moment later a silver-haired Inuyasha stood before the real Inuyasha.

 

“Every time Myoga! Every time you take more than enough!” Inuyasha barked. He looked at his neck and saw the bite marks begin to disappear. 

 

Myoga gave a fanged smile. “Forgive sir, but you have the tastiest blood. And also, if you’re late returning I can keep my form longer. I have enough for two days.”

 

Inuyasha shook his head and grabbed his keys and phone. “I have one lead, and I’ll probably head to the office afterwards. Don’t pick any fights, just socialize and make it known that I’m at the club.”

 

Myoga held up his claws. “Sir, I’ve only done this a hundred times. You’re safe.”

 

Inuyasha made his way to the Upper East side, seeing the daily life of New York pass by him. Hotdog carts on every corner, horns blaring at green lights, people of all walks of life walking up and down the streets.

 

He found a coffee shop and decided to walk in. His lead apparently was a frequent of this particular shop, so laying low while observing for a few hours would give him insight to exactly what he needs to find. Since he looked human and the potion he was drinking hid the stench of demon on him, he would able to stay there undetected. At least for a few hours.

 

He could hear the news on the television and he groaned. Journalists were always bad juju, telling the worst fears of what everyone was thinking, causing demon progression to go back ten steps. Demons were already struggling to own businesses, having to pay a ridiculous amount in taxes and rent. They were severely limited to work in low end service jobs or the entertainment industry. Many were bar and club owners, which would be profitable if they weren’t taxed and fined so heavily for every little thing.

 

Inuyasha ordered a coffee from a cute girl behind the counter, she looked strangely familiar. He looked down at her nametag and had to bite his tongue. It was the vixen from the other night that has been plaguing his thoughts. Kagome seemed oblivious to his presence, but again, he was in disguise. He watched her make his coffee quickly, occasionally turning to the news.

 

He had to admit, she looked far different than the first time he met her. The first time he met her she looked almost slutty, but now… She had an innocence to her that he didn’t notice before. He didn’t know if it was because she was completely sober, or that she seemed in her natural element. The other night she seemed awkward, but here, she was comfortable.

 

He sat in the corner of the café, drinking his coffee and watching everyone around him closely. He took a book out, but he didn’t even know what the title was or what it was about. He made it look like he was reading it when he was watching the news, watching everyone around him. This particular café was known to have people disappear from it and he was trying to figure out who was demon and who was not, who might be involved. He was looking for patterns, nothing more, hoping for a lead.

 

Most of all though, and he hated to admit, he was watching Kagome. She was working to keep herself busy, tidying up, talking to customers, making herself useful. He had to admit, she was a hard little worker. When she ran out of things to do and the café was mostly empty except for himself and her, he saw her pull out a large textbook and start taking notes at a nearby table. It was the lowest business hour, which meant that demons would be arriving for their drinks. 

 

A half hour passed and his coffee had been empty for quite some time. Kagome finally walked up to him and asked him for his cup. He handed it to her, acting disinterested, but finding it hard to ignore her sweet perfume. 

 

Two demons walked in whom he immediately recognized as underground drug den runners. They had illegal clubs that they would lure people into with the promise of sex and drugs, and after a person would get high, they would take their blood and give it to demons to get high off of. Drugs were not potent enough, but in human blood, it was a delectable treat that would cause demons to have their own type of high. Heroin was the top drug that demons preferred in the blood, pot was pretty rare. Meth and ecstasy were known to increase a mans potency, making those popular as well. Kagome recognized the men as demons instantly with their pointed ears and facial tattoos, as well as their outrageously colored hair. She was shaking in nervousness, and he kept a close eye on the situation. He could feel his body lowering its defenses so he pulled out his flask and took a quick gulp, feeling his appearance hibernate once more.

 

“What a cute little lass,” said the demon with purple hair and orange tattoos, his accent strangely British. “She’d make a great addition, wouldn’t she?”

 

The other demon smiled, showing gray pointed teeth under his yellow lips. His skin was a sickly yellow color, his hair a brilliant orange, while his eyes were solid red. When he spoke, a snake’s split tongue could be seen. “She would, and how sweet smelling she is? The demons would pay top dollar for her.”

 

Kagome was feeling overly nervous, afraid of what was to come next. “Um, can I get you something?” she squeaked.

 

“Two latte’s, for now,” the purple haired demon spat. He handed over the money and sat down a few seats from Inuyasha. He listened in intently, turning on the recording device in his pocket. 

 

“We need to find different people for Naraku,” whispered the first demon. He looked at Kagome and waived stupidly, causing her to turn her back and concentrate on the drinks.

 

“Will you stop being an idiot?” hissed the orange haired demon. “Naraku specified that he wants a young girl who hasn’t been living on the streets. There’s plenty of girls that could easily go missing unnoticed.”

 

“What about this girl?”

 

“She has a job, we need to find a girl who would be less noticed.”

 

“But we’ve already raided all of the foster homes in New York,” pointed out the purple haired demon. “We’re going to have to look at students or high schoolers.”

 

The orange haired demon looked at Kagome hard. She was a cute girl, a little lean. He figured Naraku would enjoy the flesh of this girl, but looking at the textbook she left at the other table, she was going to a prestigious college and would be noticed as missing fairly quickly. No, he needed a stupid girl. This girl was likely not stupid.

 

“We need to find a stupid girl. Preferably about to be homeless or incredibly desperate. Have you checked the whore houses?”

 

The purple haired demon pinched his chin thoughtfully. “I can check again, they have new girls every week. We might be able to find some more underground and feed them well so Naraku doesn’t suspect anything.”

 

Inuyasha was getting fantastic intel, smiling to himself. He couldn’t have asked for better information. Kagome put the two lattes on the table in front of the demons. “Is there anything else?” she asked, her voice not nearly as squeaky.

 

The purple haired demon grabbed her hand and smelled it deeply. “Mmm, girlie, do you taste as good as you smell?”

 

The orange hair demon snatched her hand, dragging her closer to him. He too, took a deep breath of her scent. “You know, Roy, you might not be wrong about this girl. She would be a good specimen.”

 

Kagome tried to force her hand away from the demons, but their grips were too strong. Inuyasha stood up and walked over to the demons harassing Kagome.

 

“You need to let go of the girl,” Inuyasha said sternly.

 

They both let go of Kagome, wide eyed at him. “We were just funin’,” said Roy. They stood up and walked out, leaving their coffees untouched. However, when they walked out, they stared long and hard at Kagome, mouthing something to her.

 

Kagome let out a sob and Inuyasha turned to see her covering her mouth, silent tears streaming down her face.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

 

“Kagome, sit down,” Inuyasha said. 

 

She did as she was told and he sat across from her. “You don’t recognize me, do you?” Inuyasha asked.

 

She looked up and stared at him hard. He took his glasses off and unbraided his hair. He let his eyes turn amber, leaving his ears and hair color alone. She gasped, staring at him.

 

“Inu-Inuyasha!” she gasped. Her face turned bright scarlet.

 

“There you go. I had no idea you worked here, I wasn’t stalking, I swear,” he stated. She was just staring at him in unbelieving astonishment. “How much longer are you working tonight?”

 

She just gaped at him. Finally after a moment she spoke. “I work until 7.” Inuyasha looked at his watch and saw it was 630. 

 

“Do you have anyone to walk you home?” he asked.

 

She shook her head no. 

 

“I figured. Look, I’ll go back to my spot and when you’re ready to leave, let me know. I’ll walk you back home. The way they looked at you, don’t be surprised if they show up again.”

 

True to his word, when Kagome’s relief came in, he walked with her back to her dormitory. While it was about fourteen blocks, she insisted on walking instead of him getting them a cab or taking the train. She insisted that she liked the exercise, when in reality she was dirt poor and didn’t want him to pay for her.

 

“I’m sorry for the way I acted when we first met,” she mumbled, but his supersonic hearing picked it up easily enough.

 

He shrugged. “I was acting pretty forward too,” he said. “I get a little crazy when I meet a girl I like.”

 

They both let out a laugh. “So, it’s safe to say you like me?” she said, her voice perking up.

 

“Oh, more than like you. I’d really like to get to know you better,” he told her. She stopped walking and turned to look at him. His face was stone serious. “Why haven’t you called me?”

 

Her cheeks burned scarlet. 

 

“Keh, don’t worry about it. Tell me about you.”

 

“What do you want to know?” she asked him.

 

“Why did you leave San Francisco?” he asked her. The look on her face became somber. 

 

“My family died a few months ago,” she mumbled, continuing to walk. 

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

 

She shrugged. “It is what it is. I realized that life isn’t all about studying and being perfect. I was living under a rock, so I sold everything and came here. New York is a city about fresh starts and new beginnings. It was the perfect place to start over and try new things. Demon studies is always something that I found fascinating, but I was the good girl. I’m tired of being the good girl.”

 

He looked at her as they walked. “There’s nothing wrong with being the good girl,” he pointed out.

 

“There is when you’re miserable.”

 

“True, but being a bad girl and going to fight clubs isn’t going to make your life better.”

 

She stopped and glared at him. “Don’t try to tell me how to live my life! You don’t know what I’ve been going through!”

 

“And you don’t’ know what I’ve been through.”

 

She deflated a little bit. “What else do you want to know?”

 

He tried not to smile. “Why were you trying so hard to be the punk girl at the bar the other night?”

 

She did laugh at this question. “That was Sango’s idea. I was trying to fit in and she decided to give me a full taste of the demon underground. I will say it was not what I was expecting.”

 

“What were you expecting?”

 

She shrugged, feeling herself more calm again. “I was expecting decapitation, blood everywhere. People being eaten and sex on the tables. You know, the rumors of exactly what to avoid.”

 

“Well, those are the more dangerous clubs, like in the Bronx. But humans aren’t allowed in those clubs.”

 

Her jaw dropped. “Oh, I thought---,” she stammered, but he cut her off.

 

“You were in one of the safest clubs in New York City.”

 

They arrived at her dorm and they stood outside it for a few minutes.

 

“Look,” he said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a number on it and handing it to her. “If you need an escort again or if you’re feeling scared, call me. I’ll be there as fast as I can. If you’re bored and want dinner, call me.”

 

She stared at the piece of paper and blushed. He gave her a toothy grin and walked off. He walked slowly to see if she would yell after him, and after a minute he heard her footsteps quickly behind him. He turned around and she ran into his arms, nearly knocking the breath out of him. She leaned up and kissed him shyly. He could feel her blush through his lips.

 

He put his hands on her waist and kissed her back. She broke the kiss and when he opened his eyes, he saw her face was a dark red. She pushed a piece of paper into his hand and she ran into her dorm building, leaving him standing on the sidewalk.

 

He looked at the crumpled piece of paper and saw her name and phone number, causing a smile to touch his lips. 

 

He continued walking, making his way to the police department to report his findings. 

 

Author’s Note: Stay tuned to find out what Inuyasha is up to!


	3. The Unexpected Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha has a tough decision to make regarding Sango's safety. Inuyasha invites Sango, Miroku and Kagome over for dinner and the conversation gets awkward.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. He is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and I appreciate the use of her characters from the series of Inuyasha.

 

Chapter 3: The unexpected Dilemma

 

Inuyasha hit pause on the recorder, giving a toothy grin to the Brooklyn police captain. The captain stared at the recorder for a few minutes, controlling his anger as best as he could. Inuyasha could see his thick brushed moustache shivering with anger, his scrunched face turning redder and redder. His thin hair showed red on the scalp as the chief was trying harder and harder to control his anger.

 

“So all of these new disappearances are because of that bastard visiting?” he said in a strained voice. His fingers were tapping the desk frantically.

 

“So it would seem,” Inuyasha retorted. “It’s not uncommon for humans to go missing in times like this. Demons love the taste of human blood, and human blood tainted with hard drugs like heroin and acid give a similar high that humans get. It doesn’t surprise me that this particular demon has a taste for that, much less demanding a young girl to drink. Most demons demand the blood of a virgin girl, much less a young girl who has drugs in her system.”

 

The police chief slammed his fist down. “Well what the hell are we supposed to do? Have a guard for every young female in New York City? That would be impossible!” roared the police chief.

 

Inuyasha shook his head. “You need to watch out for young girls that wouldn’t be noticed if gone missing. College students who are new to the city, foster kids, homeless kids. Watch at children’s homes and foster homes, those are the kids that are going to go missing more quickly. Put a temporary ban on adoptions right now. Start warning prostitutes of what may be happening…”

 

“We can’t ban adoption, what will everyone say? ‘Police suggest no homeless children be adopted for reasons that can’t be made public?’ Are you insane? That would put New York in the press more than ever before!”

 

Inuyasha leaned against the desk, pinching his chin as he thought. “We might have to put a female cop undercover to see if she gets led into the dens so that we can report on who is running the operation here in New York. We know its demons, and we need a cop that won’t be recognized.”

 

“It’s no use, no sane cop would agree to something like that,” sighed the police captain.

 

“Well, how about a convict looked for community service? Or offer a plea bargain for a guilty woman?”

 

The police captain thought about this. “I’ll see what I can do, but I doubt anything will come of it. Keep your ears peeled, try to get more information this week. If we keep getting information like this, there’s a chance that we can stop the disappearances.”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Inuyasha left the police station, sending Myoga a text.

 

Leave the bar now, I have everything I need and I’m going home.

 

Inuyasha walked slowly back to his apartment, but not before stopping in front of the NYU dorm Kagome was staying at. He knew which window belonged to her and he wondered what she’d say if he jumped up to the window sill. She’d probably scream, but he might look in on her roommate. He sighed, staring up at the room. 

 

This girl was taking over his mind. He shook his head and kept walking, down the street back home.

 

When he arrived home, Myoga was still in Inuyasha’s form, giving him a toothy grin when the real Inuyasha walked in. Inuyasha let the concealing spell fade away finally, so the two creatures matched exactly while staring at one another.

 

“So, did you hear anything interesting at the club tonight?” Inuyasha asked him. Myoga smiled even larger.

 

“I found out where they’re experimenting the drugs on humans and how they’re doing it,” Myoga stated excitedly. 

 

Inuyasha’s eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding!”

 

“No! It’s happening in the Bronx. The Thunder Brother’s Fights and Lights. Apparently they have a second basement where they’re trying drugs on humans and giving taste tests to the different demons to see how they react. However, you can only get in if you’re a human female or a demon looking to buy.”

 

Inuyasha considered this. He could never be caught trying to buy the stuff, and he wasn’t a human girl. This created a problem.

 

“We’ll do more research, but that’s great information. Thank you. I release you from your duties for the evening.”

 

Myoga burst into a cloud of smoke, only to appear as the small, four armed man once more. “Thank you, master.”

 

Myoga left, leaving Inuyasha to the complete sound of silence in his apartment. 

 

He pulled his hair out of the braid and let the silver locks cascade around his face as he leaned over the sink. He ran some cold water and splashed his face. He had a lot to take in right now. He knew where it was happening, but no sane demon would ever go into the Thunder Brother’s Fights and Lights willingly. Nor would any sane human. 

 

Except maybe one. One who knew his double life, one who worked in law enforcement already… He felt himself smile. He may have found a work around.

 

*-*-*-*

 

Kagome closed the door to her dorm to find that her roommate was out for the evening. Her cheeks were warm from evening excitement. She didn’t realize just how nervous she was with Inuyasha, considering their evening the week before. She touched her lips, they still tingled. She smiled to herself, letting out a nervous giggle.

 

“Oh Kagome, what are you going to do with yourself?” she whispered to herself. She walked away from the door and threw her book bag on the floor next to her bed, kicking off her shoes. She jumped into the bed and threw her face into the pillow, willing it to cool off. 

 

As she rolled over and stared at the ceiling, she felt conflicted. How would she ever date a half-demon? Much less a full demon? They were terrifying… And so exciting…

 

Who am I kidding? Kagome thought to herself. I doubt he would ever want to date me, maybe sleep with me…

 

She thought of that too. He had such a fantastic body and they had the chemistry, she knew that. She also knew that the night they made out that if she had agreed to go to his place, he probably would have slept with her. She knew that she had never felt this hungry for physical contact before, but she figured her hormones were getting away with themselves. She knew the different between love and carnal desire. While her mind was thinking of him constantly, it wasn’t along the lines of her wanting to wake him up with breakfast, or taking long walks and talking. When she thought of the two of them together… 

She felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment.

 

She sighed, resting her arm over her eyes. She was crushing on a guy she hardly knew, who could rip her to pieces if he really wanted. She knew he was dangerous to her body, as well as her heart, and she was fantasizing over a guy she had just met and barely knew. Hell, don’t know at all, she thought. 

 

She got up out of bed and stripped down, put on her bath robe and grabbed her shower caddy. A hot shower is what she needed to clear her head. 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Sango sat inside a small coffee shop in Harlem, staring down at the intricately designed leaf in her coffee. The croissant was freshly baked nearby, if not in shop, and she could smell the beans roasting in the back. For Harlem, this particular coffee shop was reeking of pure hipster. Demons and humans alike lined up the walls, typing away on their laptops or eating the delicate sandwiches. The coffee was good, but to Sango, she was fairly simple. She liked her coffee cheap and easy, this coffee was elaborate and just… Ugh, why did Inuyasha want to meet here in the first place?

 

As always, Sango stood out like a sore thumb. Most of the people here were wearing plaid shirts, or dressed like… well, hipsters. Thick rimmed glasses, skinny jeans, spiked hair. Sango’s hair was in the traditional pony tail, her eye liner was black with hot pink eye shadow and a touch of lip gloss. However, her fishnet shirt over a fuchsia tank top and baggy pants with chains and straps just caused most onlookers to give her a dark look for ruining the atmosphere in the posh coffee shop. 

 

Inuyasha entered in disguise, wearing his long hair in a braid once more, the common thick rimmed glasses, a baseball cap to hide his face, a red plaid shirt and washed out blue jeans that hugged his thighs. He wore Vans shoes, which looked clumsy on the athlete. 

 

Sango recognized him immediately from his awkward gait. He went and ordered a coffee and sat down, waiting for his name to be called out.

 

“Could you have picked a more hipster coffee outfit?” Sango hissed, taking a sip of the coffee in front of her.

 

“I wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this, and Myoga is undercover so I had to make sure nobody would recognize me,” he explained. She rolled her eyes and took a bite out of the sandwich, causing more onlookers to give her a dark look. She flipped them off and washed down the bite with another drink of the coffee.

 

“I wouldn’t either, hence the attitude,” Sango spat. “What do you need me to do? Usually you just text me with what you want.”

 

Inuyasha bit his lip. “It might be dangerous, but I need a human female to do the job.”

 

Sango shrugged. “Doesn’t sound different from any other job you’ve asked me to help you with.”

 

“There’s a possibility of death,” he mentioned off handedly, hearing his fake name being called.

 

Sango’s jaw dropped. “Gerard? You picked Gerard? What the fuck kind of name is that?”

 

Inuyasha picked up his coffee and sat back down across from Sango. “It’s a name nobody will fucking remember. We’re hipsters today. I wish you would have dressed the part.”

 

“I’m not afraid of anything unusual.”

 

“I know that, and you should be.” Sango rolled her eyes and Inuyasha slammed his hand down on the table, causing a few onlookers to glance their way. “Women are disappearing, children are disappearing, and I need you to go undercover. You could die which is why I don’t really want to ask you in the first place,” he hissed.

 

Her eyes widened. “You’re really scared, aren’t you?”

 

“I know you can usually take care of yourself, but one false move and they’ll slit your throat,” he whispered. Sitting back and taking a sip of his coffee. “You’re right, this place is super hipster. I feel like this place is missing acoustic guitars to fill the ambiance.”

 

As if on cue, a guitar player started playing the Ironman theme song.

 

“Of fucking course,” Sango muttered. They both laughed.

 

“We found out that at the fights and lights, they have a second basement where they’re testing out drugs on young women for the demons to devour later.” Sango looked confused so Inuyasha began to explain. “Drugs have no effect on demons, but human blood is intoxicating to a degree, and if the drugs are in the system of a human, they cause euphoric effects. What’s been happening is that homeless have been getting money for selling their blood to demons, but with the drugs they get far more. The houses will sell the drugs, which they buy, and they sell their blood while they’re high to demons. It’s a vicious cycle, since they have the never ending supply of drugs and need for blood, people will literally waste away in these clubs buying until they overdose, then the bodies disappear.”

 

“That’s horrible,” Sango muttered.

 

“It gets worse,” he sighed. “They’re starting to kidnap kids and force drugs into their system since young girls seem to cause a higher euphoric feeling, and apparently it’s directly connected to a visitor coming soon.”

 

Sango nodded. “So you need me to pose as one of these girls to get information?”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “You can say no,” he said quietly.

 

Sango thought about it. “The problem is that the Thunder Brother’s know me because I inspect their bar from time to time, so even if I wanted, I couldn’t.”

 

Inuyasha felt relieved. He let out a deep sigh.

 

“You could have Kagome do it,” Sango offered off handedly.

 

“No.”

 

Sango’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? We don’t even have to tell her you’re connected, I’ll just say the police officers—“Sango began, but Inuyasha cut her off again.

 

“I said no.”

 

Sango threw her hands up. “Then I have no idea who. Speaking of which, have you talked to Kagome recently? She’s been giddy for the past couple of days, but she won’t tell me why.”

 

He smiled. “I walked her home from work a few days ago and she kissed me. She’s far more bashful when she’s sober.”

 

Laughter fell between the two friends. “Yeah, she’s pretty innocent, even if she pretends she’s not,” Sango admitted. “You should give her a call, I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

 

He thought about it. “I’d love to see her again. Bring her by my place tonight with Miroku. I’ll order take out and pick up a case.”

 

Sango smiled. “You little demon, you.”

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Kagome finished putting on the final touch of makeup. She wore a creamy low cut sweater that hugged the right places and fell almost mid-thigh, nearly covering up her short black school girl skirt. She wore knee high black socks and slip on shoes, her hair brushed into waves around her face and shoulders. Her makeup was minimal. Sango said she was bringing her to a friends to hang out. Miroku was going too, so she was told. When she asked Sango who it was, Sango said not to worry since she had never met this particular friend.

 

She wondered if it was a guy or a girl, and figured that she should look somewhat nice for whomever it was. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt like she looked way younger than she actually was. She looked like she was fifteen or sixteen, and she sighed. Maybe this would deter any guy she met because he’d be afraid of dating someone too young. She grabbed her purse and waited for Sango.

 

Sango was wearing her normal, everyday wear, which today was a cropped long sleeve black shirt that showed off her flat stomach and belly button piercing, low cut black jeans that were tucked into lace up boots with five inch heels. Miroku was wearing a navy blue t-shirt and comfortable washed out blue jeans and flip flops. His hair was tied in a low pony tail and he had his signature two gold hoop earrings.

 

“I feel overdressed,” Kagome admitted. She was wishing she had opted for blue jeans.

 

“No, you look fine. Trust me,” Sango said with a wink and pulled her friend out of the dorm.

 

They walked the streets of New York for what felt like miles when they arrived at a building that looked far too nice to be the home of a student. They walked into the marble floored lobby and Sango pushed the button for the elevator. 

As the glass doors opened, Sango was smiling while holding Miroku’s hand as they pushed the button to the penthouse. As they were going up, Kagome began to wonder who this friend was.

 

The door opened and they saw a large, dark door with intricate engravings of demons. They got out of the elevator and rang the bell.

 

Who could this friend be, with a penthouse? Kagome thought to herself.

 

Inuyasha answered the door without a shirt on and low riding jeans. His hair was wet from a shower and he was rubbing his ears dry with a towel. 

 

“You’re early,” he said flatly, looking at the now blushing Kagome who was willing her skirt longer. He smiled at her, his fangs glistening in the artificial light.

 

“Whatever, dog-boy,” Sango said, pushing him aide and walking in. “Did you order the take out yet?”

 

Miroku and Kagome followed Sango in, but Kagome avoided eye contact. He was a perfect specimen of a man, and gazing at his half naked form caused lustful thoughts to rise in her mind.

 

“No, not yet. I didn’t know what to order.”

 

Sango picked up the phone. “Give me your card, it’s your treat, right?”

 

Inuyasha pulled out his wallet and flung a card at Sango. “Get whatever, I’m happy with anything.”

 

Sango smiled and dialed a number. She could hear Sango putting in an order for sushi and ramen, but Inuyasha just stared at Kagome.

 

Miroku saw the exchanges between Kagome and Inuyasha. Inuyasha very openly taunting her, Kagome being bashful and unable to look at him.

 

“Could you… ah… put on a shirt?” Kagome muttered. Inuyasha looked down at his bare chest and muscular abs.

 

“Don’t you like the view?” he asked her, a crooked smile on his face.

 

“I can… ah…” She was trying to say something, but her face was so bright red and her mouth was unwilling to say it.

 

“Your pubes are showing, ass-hat,” Sango yelled across the room, continuing the order. Miroku had to turn to laugh and Inuyasha looked down and realized that his jeans were so low that the top of his pubic hairline was showing. 

 

He continued to smile. “Well, I guess I need a belt to hold these pants up,” he said dully. He walked away and came out a few minutes later with an oversized t-shirt and, from what Kagome could tell, a belt to hold up the low riders.

 

Kagome sighed in relief. The carnal desire in her stomach betrayed her earlier and she was sure Inuyasha could sense it. Sango went into the fridge and pulled out a few beers, handing one each to Miroku and Kagome.

 

“I know beer doesn’t do anything for you,” Sango said. “Do you have any sake?”

 

Inuyasha walked into the kitchen and pulled out a small barrel that looked to be about a hundred years old.

 

“I bought this in Japan before world war II. It’s a spring plum wine. How about I start chilling it and we drink it with dinner?” The group nodded in agreement and he placed it in the fridge, pulling out a cheap bottle of sake.

 

They all sat at the table, Kagome nursing her beer slowly. After the last time she drank with the half demon, she nearly made a complete fool of herself. She didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

 

Inuyasha pulled out a Go board and they began to play, Miroku and Sango played each other first, but Kagome eventually found her way sitting next to Inuyasha.

 

He had a musk that Kagome could hardly resist. To her it smelled of the forest, fresh pine and light wood smoke. When she closed her eyes, smelling him, she could almost imagine the fresh mountain air, the coursing rivers, and the tall trees surrounding her. The smell was so manly, so enticing. She let out a soft sigh and Sango began to laugh.

 

“You notice he smells delicious too, eh?” Sango asked. Kagome felt herself blush once more.

 

“Relax,” Inuyasha responded. “Demons have a natural odor to attract humans. Some use it to attract humans as nourishment, others use it to attract lovers. Depends on the demons.”

 

“Isn’t that why you usually avoid dating humans, Inuyasha?” Miroku asked with a wink. “You feel like you’re not playing fair?”

 

“Keh, I don’t date humans because last time I did, I outlived her by nearly five hundred years.”

 

Kagome just about fell out of her seat. “Five hundred years?!” she screamed.

 

He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, I’m seven hundred years old. My mother was a feudal princess, my father was the lord of the western lands.”

 

Kagome felt herself getting dizzy at the thought. “I had no idea demons could live so long,” she said, trying to imagine a being living that long.

 

He shrugged. “My brother is about two hundred years older than me. We’re technically immortal, but easy enough to kill off.”

 

“Even half demons?” she asked, her voice shaky. 

 

“Eh, technically we age, but for the most part we’re immortal. I’ll be forever beautiful,” He said, throwing his hair over his shoulder.

 

Kagome laughed and he smiled. She was feeling a little less guarded the longer she was there. Getting to know him in this way was far easier. He was so likeable. 

 

“So, what happened to the girl you dated? Five hundred years ago?”

 

Everyone stopped and looked at Kagome. The look on Inuyasha’s face went from playful to completely emotionless.

 

“She died,” he replied coldly. “It was five hundred years ago.”

 

The room was tense for a while longer, Sango and Miroku continued to play Go, but in the most quiet of fashions.

 

Kagome finished her beer, figuring that she completely ruined any chances of hanging out with Inuyasha again. Inuyasha got up and handed her another beer. She took it gingerly, lightly brushing her fingers against his claws.

 

That’s when she realized it. When she really, truly realized it.

 

He was a demon. She was a human. While he was living proof of what happened when a demon and human got together, she realized that there was nowhere in this world that they belonged.

 

It would never work.

 

It could never work.

 

A/N: Soooo, what did you think? How do you like the plot thus far? I’m having a lot of fun dragging out the romance a bit more. Let me know what you think I can improve on or fix. Thanks!


	4. Feudal Confessions and the Deadline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha divulges his past to Kagome. An unexpected stranger is having to meet a deadline for the visiting diplomat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally posted on Media Miner and Fanfiction. However, this version, I've tweaked it so it flows better and I've taken out some of the menial details that don't help the flow. If you like the story, please tell me. If there's something I can do to improve, PLEASE TELL ME! 
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos!

Disclaimer: The characters in Inuyasha belong to none other than Rumiko Takahashi.

 

The food arrived and the party was still in total silence as the sushi was passed around from person to person. Kagome felt like a complete outsider. Sango and Miroku felt completely awkward. Inuyasha barely spoke.

 

“So, Inuyasha, how have the fights been going?” Miroku asked, trying to break some tension.

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “Pretty good. Won my last fight, I'll be going into the semi-finals next week to end out the season.”

 

They all nodded in acknowledgement. More awkward silence followed. Kagome wanted to leave, bury her head in her pillow, and forget that she had ever met the dog demon. No matter how many visual ques she gave Sango though, Sango didn't seem to take the hint. She just wanted to be rid of the dog demon once and for all and just live a normal life in New York.

 

Ha! Your life will NEVER be normal! Kagome thought to herself. Okay, somewhat normal. Away from dating demons.

 

But the true question was… did Kagome really want to not date demons? She couldn't help the attraction she felt towards Inuyasha, whether it be a trick of hormones or actual, psychological connection. She remembered the one relationship she had been in with Hojo and she felt her heart sink.

Anything would have to be better than that, she thought to herself.

 

The food was finished, and Inuyasha pulled out the sake barrel and poured each person a glass. The smell was sweet, but from the first sip Kagome could tell that this was strong liquor, not even really wine anymore. She gave Sango another look of desperation, practically begging her to leave, mouthing to her when the guys weren't looking, asking to leave. Sango would just stare at her as if she were confused and say something off hand to suggest they stay longer.

 

“I propose we play a drinking game,” Miroku stated, breaking the silence once more. “I think Truth or Dare is in order!”

 

Kagome's eyes grew wide. Oh no… They were never going to leave.

 

“Fine, I'll go first! Sango, truth or dare?” Inuyasha half shouted, his playfulness slowly returning.

 

“Hmm… I think I'll go with truth.”

 

“Oh come on, you never back down from a challenge,” Miroku cooed, which caused Sango to lightly hit him.

 

“Okay, how old were you when you lost your virginity?” Inuyasha asked slyly. Sango felt her cheeks redden. “Oh come off it, I know you're not a virgin. If you refuse to answer, you have to have three cups of sake, if you do answer, I'll drink.”

 

“I was fourteen,” Sango confessed, bursting into giggles. They all gaped at her. “It was terrible. I didn't do it again until college. Alright, my turn. Kagome! Truth or dare!”

 

Kagome blushed. She finished the second cup of sake and felt the warmth spread through her. Inuyasha watched her intently as he downed his three cups of Sake with contempt. She was feeling adventurous. “I'll take the dare.”

 

Sango and Miroku smiled. “Alright Kagome… Have you ever played seven minutes in heaven?”

 

Kagome started to giggle. “I've heard of it, but never played it.”

 

Sango stood up and left the room for a moment, returning with a red sash and tied it around Kagome's eyes. “Inuyasha, you're playing with her.”

 

He began to turn red. “Why me?”

 

Sango gave him a dark look and he began to pout. “So Kagome, you and Inuyasha are going to be locked in this room here,” Sango said as she led Kagome to the back bedroom. “We're going to lock you in for seven minutes and when your time is up, we're going to open the door and you have to tell us what you did, deal?”

 

Kagome was feeling nervous, and while this sounded like a dangerous idea, she couldn't help but feel excited. The carnal desire was beginning to rise up once more. She had just determined this man was dangerous to her and was trying to find a way to never see him again, yet she was now being forced into a bedroom with him, alcohol in her system to give her bravery, and a warmth in her stomach that was directly tied to the man standing in front of her. She didn't know how well she could restrain herself, yet at the same time, how much restraint could he show? Every type of thought ran through her head, causing her face to redden and nervous energy sprouting from every pore in her body.

 

Inuyasha followed them in and stood a few inches in front of Kagome. Inuyasha stared at her in awe, her eyes covered and she was biting her bottom lip. Oh, how he wanted to kiss those lips again. The chit was driving him insane. Her scent spiked to show anxiety and arousal, which, surprisingly nearly cancelled each other out. Nearly.

 

Sango walked out and pulled the door shut, setting the timer on her phone for twenty five minutes. She felt herself giggle at herself. She knew that if she left them alone together long enough, something might happen. As long as Sango had known Inuyasha, he had never really shown interest in a girl like he did Kagome. He dated and slept around a bit, sure, but never anything more than a one night stand here and there, and even those were rare.

 

Miroku looked at the timer on her phone as she sat down next to him. “Twenty five?” Miroku whispered.

 

“Twenty five. They need to talk and seven minutes won't be nearly enough time.”

 

Miroku smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “So, what should we do during this twenty five minutes in heaven?”

 

He nuzzled her neck, leaving a trail of kisses down her ear to her shoulder. She let out a soft sigh, lowering her face to meet his and placed a kiss on his lips.

 

“I could barricade the door and we could have our way here?” she whispered, causing a grin to touch Miroku's lips.

 

He kissed her once more. “Or we could just leave and let what happen, happen.”

 

She stood up and grabbed her purse, reaching her hand out to his. As she turned holding his hands, she made sure there was a nice swing in her hips, tantalizing his prize if he were to follow the vixen before him. The look in her eyes promised a night of heated sighs and unfathomable pleasure, something he knew she was more than capable of.

 

“They'll be fine,” she whispered, as he kissed her once more, pulling her close to ensure she felt his excitement. She let out a giggle as the elevator door opened and they entered, unable to release their mouths, surrendering to their carnal desire.

 

Meanwhile in Inuyasha's bedroom, Kagome stood facing Inuyasha, wringing her hands in nervous anticipation. She felt like a teenager. She knew she couldn't do anything. She wanted to, her body was aching for him, but she knew he was dangerous. She knew that being with him would destroy her heart. She was impure, tainted from her past, and she knew that if he ever knew her history, he would run away and never look back. Her mind went to dark places, shadows of her past lurking in her mind, suppressing any arousal she had.

 

Inuyasha stood in front of her, stepping closer, watching her hands play idly in nervous anticipation. The scent of her arousal touched his nose and he bit back his moan, although it was beginning to fade. He wondered if her nervousness was suppressing her desire, which he couldn’t blame her. However, the vixen was such a sinful morsel that he knew he would never be able to stop tasting. He knew that he could take her to new heights and make her scream his name over and over. He knew that if they both caved into their desires, their physical needs, that they would be nothing more than sweaty bodies tangled in wet sheets, hearing nothing but each others panting breaths and ringing ears. The thought alone of her tangled in his sheets, breathless from his touch left him in a compromising predicament. Thank god she was blind folded. He took a few nervous breaths to calm the heat in his loins, feeling his excitement contained.

 

He reached up and pulled off the scarf covering Kagome's eyes, letting it fall to the floor so she could see clearly. He was merely inches away from her face, where he could see her eyes were dilated, hardly showing the natural brown color. He could feel her breath on his face, the heat from her breath tickling his face. He let out a deep sigh, calming his own nerves.

 

“Uh, I think Sango and Miroku just left,” Inuyasha whispered, stepping back. He felt his control lessen a little bit, thinking of them alone in his bedroom, no intrusion of privacy, exactly what he needed to make her scream.

 

Kagome's eyes suddenly changed. “They what?” She wasn't registering what he was saying.

 

“They wanted the night to themselves and thought we'd want the same thing,” he explained. He turned and scratched his head, willing himself to cast her scent from his mind.

 

“Why would they assume that?” she asked. She was beginning to hate herself for saying that.

 

“Because I like you, and I'm assuming you like me.”

 

He looked up and met her gaze, their eye contact unwavering.

 

“There's some chemistry between us, if that's what you mean,” she admitted sheepishly.

 

“Some?” he said, laughing. The tension was lifting, giving Kagome a little more courage.

 

“It's dangerous, you have to know that,” she stated. He laughed and opened the door to his bedroom to look into the living room.

 

“Yeah, they're gone. Let's get out of this room so you're not so nervous.” He decided to ignore her last comment. He didn't give a damn if their relationship was dangerous. He wanted her, and he had to restrain himself because she was so damn innocent.

 

She walked out of the bedroom slowly where Inuyasha poured her another cup of sake. He poured one for himself and held up his cup. “Kenpai,” he said, downing the glass like a shot. She drank her sake as well, feeling the warmth run through her body.

 

“I know it's really late and Sango and Miroku will be getting it on in your dorm, so if you want, you can stay the night here. I'll sleep on the couch and you can take the bed if you want.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened. “They'll be what?”

 

Inuyasha's eyes widened. “Didn't you know? They've been dating for two years.”

 

“I had no idea…” She thought about it and it made sense. How often they hung out together, how he looked at her…

 

She sat in silence for a moment and he refilled her sake. She looked at it questioningly. “It goes bad if it sits out, so let's try to finish it. Slowly. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

 

She shrugged and help up her cup. “Kenpai,” she said before downing the sake.

 

“I feel like I made things awkward with your question earlier,” Inuyasha began to explain, but Kagome stopped him.

 

“It's okay, you don't have to explain, it was a long time ago,” she said, but the curiosity was eating her up. She was dying to know.

 

“No but I want to explain,” he said. She sat down and he sat down on the other end of the couch his arm draped over the back and his leg up on the cushion between them.

 

“It was in the feudal days of Japan, which I'm sure you know a little bit about,” he began to explain. She just watched him intently, which he figured was safe to continue. “She was a Shinto priestess who was guarding the Higurashi shrine, which I know you've heard of.”

 

“That was my family's shrine before coming to America,” she said in surprise.

 

“I recognized your name instantly. Anyway, she was a guardian in the village with immense spiritual powers that, to date, I have never seen replicated. She was forced into being a priestess because she showed no fear and her powers were great, but she only longed for one thing… To be normal. You can see why we hit it off so well,” he smiled at the memory, as if he were back in the shrine with this priestess. “She pinned me to the same tree, probably a hundred times. Do you know if the God's tree is still there?”

 

Kagome thought about it. “I visited the shrine when I was 12 and there was this huge tree in the center of the shrine. Is that the one?”

 

He nodded. “I haven't been back to Japan since I moved here, but I've been meaning to see how it's changed. Anyway, we started out as enemies but one day she asked me to join her. I think she was meditating, and she looked so incredibly sad. I remember her smiling at me when I spoke with her, and it became an everyday thing. Soon we were battling demons together, she would introduce me to the village children. Then one day, she kissed me.”

 

There was a moment of silence while he smiled at the memory. “It was terrible. It was the first time either of us had been kissed. But we had to keep our love secret, so at night she would sneak out to see me in the forest. The romance was bittersweet. We made love once,” he added sheepishly, causing jealousy to rise in Kagome, but she had to remind herself that this was centuries before she was born. “However, that was pretty terrible too. Both of us virgins.”

 

There was silence for a moment as he remembered the priestess beneath the stars. They were both so nervous and clumsy. The smile vanished and he continued, “She was killed by a strong demon not too long after that.”

 

“How was she killed if she was so strong?” Kagome asked, pouring herself and Inuyasha another cup of sake.

 

He drank the sake and put the cup down. “A virgin has far stronger spiritual powers. After we… well, you get the idea. She lost a lot of her spiritual power and a demon she would have easily slayed with one arrow was hardly hurt when she hit it and it struck her. I finished it off but she died later that day.”

 

She saw his eyes grow watery. “You really loved her, didn't you?” Kagome whispered.

 

He wiped his eyes. “Yeah, first love is always the hardest. I actively avoided humans up until the 1800s when the westerners began industrializing Japan. I came to America shortly after World War two, straight here to New York, where I've been ever since.”

 

“So why the sudden interest in me?” Kagome asked him. He looked up and looked her right in the eyes. For a moment, Inuyasha saw the priestess's eyes stare back at him. He could hardly distinguish between the girl in front of him and the priestess he loved centuries ago. Their smells were nearly identical, while they looked slightly different, he wondered if she was a reincarnate. Both of them were lonely like he was, and seeing a woman who had suffered as he had made him feel less lonely in the world.

 

“No clue,” he lied. “You have a kindness about you, as well as a sadness, that makes me realize just how lonely I've been in the recent years.”

 

Kagome stared at her empty cup. Her hands were resting in her lap, and she felt awful. He had suffered so much loneliness in the past, and she was trying to push him away. Right now she wanted to wrap her arms around him and wish the pain away. “What was her name?”

 

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment. When Kagome was sure he wasn't going to respond, he replied in a very soft, almost ghostly voice. “Kikyo.”

 

“What a beautiful name,” Kagome said, trying to hide her jealousy.

 

He smiled. “She was incredibly beautiful.”

 

They didn't speak any more that night, and after the sake was finished Inuyasha let Kagome to his room. He grabbed a few blankets for himself and closed the door behind him, leaving Kagome alone in his bedroom.

 

She fell asleep almost instantly, the scent of pine and musk bringing her dreams of feudal times.

 

Inuyasha lay awake on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He thought about Kikyo, remembering how beautiful their love had been, but how forbidden it was. A demon and a priestess, the most inconspicuous of lovers. He remembered holding her as she died. The kiss she placed on his lips, her whispers, saying, “I'll find you in my next life,” before passing away. He remembered seeing her soul decent into the darkness above him, the stars never twinkling so brightly.

 

He remembered the first time he met Kagome at the bar, he could smell Kagome's scent and he swore he smelled Kikyo that first time he met her. He remembered actively seeking out the woman, only to find a young girl wearing a ridiculous outfit of fishnets and leather. As he got closer he realized that her scent was slightly different, as well as her looks. He remembered that seeing her was almost a disappointment, but he realized that this woman was not a woman he was going to let go so easily. He had been pining for Kikyo for centuries. No woman captivated his heart like Kikyo had. He had loved no woman like he had loved Kikyo. For centuries he traveled Japan, searching for her incarnate. He gave up finally and moved to New York, trying to move on with his life. After fifty years of having lost hope, he finds a woman who, for the most part, has captivated his heart like Kikyo had.

 

He wondered if he had finally found his soul mate once more, after hundreds of years of searching. He let his eyes grow heavy, thoughts of the priestess in the moonlight, as he remembered her best, clouding his mind as he fell into a deep sleep.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

The Thunder Brother's Fights and Lights was a notorious fight club in the heart of the Bronx. The outside of it was run down and prostitutes wandering the streets looking for easy cash was a common sight. The streets were dirty, the liquor flowed like rivers. There was nothing but sin in the air.

 

A tall man with black hair and pointed ears walked down the street wearing a formal business suit. His braid fell nearly to his knees and his bangs were messy. The almond shaped eyes would make a person think he was Asian, but the red eyes gave away his demon heritage. He looked almost completely human except for his eyes, which no matter what he did, he could not get the color to change.

 

Not that he wanted to, of course, but it would be easier to lure people into his club if he looked more human. He stood on a particular street corner, looking at the prostitutes across the street from him. Most of them were human, since human prostitutes could get a pretty good price from desperate demons who wanted to taste a human, just the one time. Many of them had half demon children who would crowd the streets during the day, some of them beautiful specimens of both human and demon ancestry, while others looked like horrid beasts.

 

The half demons weren't completely worthless, he thought to himself. Although they disgusted him, they were so desperate for acceptance into any community he was able to use them to do some of his dirty work. His best drug smugglers were half demons, since nobody suspected them of doing anything. They blended in well with humans since disguising spells worked so much more easily on them than on full fledged demons. They were tough, since they were bullied so much as children. He took full advantage of this as well, training many of them to be fighters. A good fight always brought in a lot of money. His club, however, didn't allow humans, but there were absolutely no laws protecting half demons since there were so few. Especially since nobody cared about their fates.

 

The man looked at his watch and saw that the mysterious stranger meeting him was running late. He knew that this was about the diplomat coming to New York, and he had to admit that finding a human girl to the diplomats liking was proving impossible, which frightened him. He bragged that he had the best tasting humans to offer, but considering how few humans were available for this, this wasn't really a bragging right. He had an air of nonchalance, but in reality he was terrified. This defiance could be the death of him and the only thing he could do was explain that finding a willing human was difficult. He had even kidnapped a few children, but the man was outraged he picked up children. He had nothing against eating children, in fact he was open to eating their flesh, but when it came to blood, he liked young women with heroin coursing through their veins. Preferably women who had very little experience with drugs, which made the plight that much more difficult.

 

A dark limo pulled up next to the tall man and the door opened. He looked around and got in, being greeted by a woman wearing a traditional red and white kimono, red eyes, and a high bun on her head.

 

“Greetings Hiten, I was afraid you wouldn't show,” the woman said.

 

“Kagura, it's good to see you after all these centuries. You haven't aged a day,” he said dryly.

 

“Let's cut the shit. Have you found someone for Naraku yet or not?”

 

Hiten was astonished at her bluntness. “Unfortunately no. It's difficult to find a willing girl that's inexperienced.”

 

Kagura pulled out her fan and let it open slowly. “Interesting… Have you tried hosting a rave for humans at your club? Or even going to a rave? It'd be easy enough to slip drugs into unknowing humans and work from there.”

 

Hiten thought about this. That could be dangerous, but it just might work. “I hadn't thought about that idea before. That's genius. But we can't put straight heroin into their blood, maybe something lighter like acid, that way we can see how they'll act.”

 

Kagura smiled. “Now you're thinking. You have two weeks to find a girl, and if you don't, we'll find someone that will.”

 

Hiten gave her a wolfish grin. “Not to fret, my wind mistress, a girl will be provided.”

 

“You know what will happen if you don't find a girl by the deadline, correct?” Kagura asked him, showing her fangs in a wolfish smile.

 

He stared at her, daring her to say the worst.

 

“You remember my sister, Kanna, correct? The Soul Stealer? She could use another soul for her collection. I think yours would do quite nicely for her mirror…”

 

“You can't scare me with that,” Hiten argued. “I know all of your tricks.”

 

Kagura laughed. “Oh, not all of them. I'll be checking on you periodically over the next couple of weeks, even if I have to lend you a hand. But be warned,” she said, suddenly moving from her seat to be less than an inch from Hiten's face. Her voice dropped an octave and sounded like a hiss, “If you fail, you will regret ever promising anything for Lord Naraku.”

 

The car stopped in front of his club and he stepped out. When the door shut the limo took off in a hurry, leaving Hiten to let out a shaky breath. He didn't realize he had been holding his breath.

 

He decided that this would be a good time to use one of his halflings to find out about a rave and work his new plan there. Perhaps, just perhaps, the right girl would be there and he could snatch her up.

 

He began to plot. If he could just send a Halfling, it wouldn't be so difficult. That or he needed a human to go to the college campuses to find out when a rave would be happening. Or any party, really. A large crowd with drunk women would be easy to work with.

 

He felt himself relax. As much as he hated the Wind Sorceress, he knew that she had a fairly good idea and he planned to milk it as much as possible.


	5. Taisho's Dog Den and Jinenji's Potions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha has a fight scheduled with Koga, and after thoroghly embarassing Kagome, he goes undercover at a rave, to find something most interesting...

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Kagome put her pencil down and let out a sigh of relief. Midterms were finally over. After the stress of the past couple of weeks between schools, the hangout at Inuyasha’s, and work, she felt like she could finally kick back and relax. 

 

When the bell rang to leave the class, she grabbed her books. She had the night off from work, all of her tests were done. For the first time in weeks, she actually had a little bit of free time. She got back to her dorm to see Miroku leaving their room with a smug look on his face.

 

“What have you been up to?” Kagome asked him slyly. He gave her a sly smile back.

 

“Oh Kagome, you know I don’t kiss and tell,” he said with a wink. 

 

She lightly punched him on the arm and walked into her room, where Sango had just finished getting dressed and opened the window. The room smelled of sex and incense. The two combined were noxious. Kagome waived air in front of her nose and gave Sango a sour look.

 

“Can’t you two do that in his room?” Kagome asked, going to her desk to light a candle.

 

Sango laughed. “Unfortunately he has a roommate that never leaves the dorm and refuses to give him the space to do anything. Luckily I have an awesome roommate who just lights candles and complains a little bit!”

 

Both of the women laughed. “I suppose. Just beat me to opening the window and lighting the candles next time, okay? It’s exhausting coming back to this smell every day.”

 

“It’s not every day!” Sango exclaimed.

 

“Damn near,” Kagome muttered under her breath.

 

“Hey, so Inuyasha is fighting tonight and there’s a big party afterwards. You in? Inuyasha said he’d get you a ticket if you wanted to watch him fight.”

 

Kagome thought about it. She hadn’t actually gotten to see him fight yet. She was curious as to how well he fought. It would be interesting to say the least. She would love to see him beat the crap out of somebody. 

 

“I suppose that would be fun…” Kagome trailed off, which caused Sango to get a wolfish grin.

 

“He’s fighting a wolf demon tonight. Koga, he’s fun to watch. They mostly just yell insults at each other. It’s like watching a comedy show,” Sango said excitedly, texting Inuyasha.

 

Good News, Kagome wants to watch you fight tonight.

 

Kagome began laughing. “Oh, but what will I wear? I can’t go in fishnets again. That’d be awful.”

 

“Why not? You look great in fishnets.”

 

Kagome shook her head, laughing. “Nah, I’ll dress myself this time. Maybe I’ll borrow a pair of shoes, but I’ll dress myself. You make me too…”

 

“Slutty? Yeah, that was on purpose. You get more free drinks that way,” Sango replied with indifference, waiving her hand at Kagome. “However, if you’re Inuyasha’s guest, I’m sure he’ll happily buy you drinks the entire night.”

 

Kagome blushed. She thought about Inuyasha. Last time she had seen him, she had spent the night. He told her a lot about his past and in the morning he had orange juice and aspirin waiting on her bedside table. When she left, he gave her a peck on the cheek and told her that he did want to see her again.

 

She hadn’t contacted him once in the past two weeks. She felt awful, but she didn’t know what to say to him. He spilled his heart out to her and she responded by avoiding him. What made it worse is that she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She wanted to tangle her fingers in his hair, she wanted to feel him against her body. 

 

She felt herself blush at the thoughts of a naked Inuyasha. A fighter’s body, lean and muscular. Thin hips, broad shoulders, muscles glistening under her touch… She shivered. 

 

Sango watched the array of emotions run across Kagome’s face and couldn’t help but smile. Kagome was smitten, and both of them were avoiding each other, hoping the other one would crack. They were stubborn, to say the least. 

 

“Hmm…” Kagome taunted. She had a little extra cash, she could go buy a nice dress and go…

 

“Oh don’t hmm me, I’m telling him you’re going,” Sango said, pulling out her phone to see Inuyasha had already responded. 

 

I have three front row seats reserved for you guys. But I’ll be otherwise occupied at the party, so don’t expect much there.

 

Sango was wondering why he would be undercover at a large party like that, but figured it wouldn’t be a big deal.

 

“I guess I could go, I just need to go find an outfit before going,” Kagome said while grabbing her purse. Sango was about to say something, but Kagome was out the door and down the hall. 

 

Sango stared at her phone. She figured Inuyasha was undercover, and at a rave that’s probably a good idea. However, she wondered what could possibly go wrong at the rave except for the normal issues. She wasn’t going to press the issue today, but next time she got him alone she was cornering him and questioning him about it.

 

-*-*-*-*-

“Lord Inuyasha, do you think it wise that you go undercover where I’ll be? What if someone figures it out?” the little four armed flea demon remarked to Inuyasha in his penthouse. Myoga was wearing a dapper suit of black pinstripe and a bright red tie this evening, but the look of worry ruined the entire look.

 

“I need to make it look like I’m at the rave, but I need to gain Intel. Jinenji gave me a potion that is supposed to completely change my appearance. Apparently I’ll look more western and I’ll have a different voice,” Inuyasha explained, holding up two small vials of amber liquid. “One vial should last eight hours, but he warned that if I’m under too much stress, it could cut that time in half. So I’ll be taking a second dose half way through the night.” 

 

“What will your friends do if they realize there are two of you?” Myoga asked him calmly, trying to get out of doing this particular undercover.

 

“They won’t, if you do what you’re supposed to do. Look, I’m putting a locking spell on your transformation so that no matter what happens, you won’t be able to run away and it’ll completely mask your scent and make it my own.” With that, Inuyasha pulled out some ancient looking beads, a necklace. There were teeth interlaid with dark brown, heavy prayer beads.

 

“Isn’t that the necklace of subjugation? Didn’t Kikyo put that on you to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid?” Myoga asked, causing Inuyasha’s handsome features to turn dark.

 

“I found a powerful priestess several years ago who was able to make it so it makes transfiguration semi-permanent. So don’t worry Myoga, after you do the transformation and I put these beads on you, you can’t change back until I take them off you. Not even if you wanted to. Basically you’ll permanently be me.”

 

Myoga looked even more worried now. “But what about you, Lord Inuyasha? What will you do to make sure yours doesn’t wear off?”

 

Inuyasha smiled and pulled out a second necklace, but not as beautifully made as the first. This one was made of lapis lazuli, and while stunning, the beads lacked any luster and were very aged. “These belonged to a monk I knew in feudal times. They seal curses and spells, so putting these on anywhere will seal the transfiguration, but anyone can pull them off so they have to be well hidden,” he explained, touching the beads between his fingers. The ancient relic still held the spiritual power of the ancient monk, as he remembered meeting the monk. Like Miroku, they were both perverted and charming, but someone Inuyasha fought alongside several times.

 

“I’ll do the fight and before we go to the rave, you’ll drink my blood and wear my fight clothes, I’ll put the beads on you and I’ll take my potion and put my beads on and we’ll work from there. The beads will make it so that if I’m injured, my scent doesn’t come with my blood and I can continue to be… Caleb? I think that’s what Jinenji said I should go by. Anyway, my potion is supposed to last a total of 16 hours, minimally 8 hours. The beads just make sure that even if I’m near death, my body won’t transfigure until the potion time limit is out.”

 

Myoga sighed in defeat. “I feel like this is not going to end well.”

 

Inuyasha smiled at Myoga. “It will work. Just avoid my friends at all costs, alright? Try to get information as best as you can, I’ll be talking to demons and humans alike to see if there’s any new rumors. Keep your ears and eyes peeled.”

 

He opened his closet and pulled out an old wrapped bundle. When he opened the old, tattered fabric, exposed was a bright red kimono.

 

“The robe of the fire rat?” Myoga asked, peering over his shoulder. 

 

Inuyasha nodded. “They wanted us to dress in traditional garb tonight for the fight. Since Koga and I have been fighting each other for five hundred years, I figure it’s appropriate.”

 

Inuyasha felt the fabric between his fingers. It’s been a long time since he wore this particular robe. It protected him from several battles and has survived over half a century. He felt the coarseness of the fabric and realized just how difficult life was in the feudal times. He couldn’t even imagine living like he did in those days. Cowering in trees and caves, the stars above his head guiding his way as he ran from ogres and demons alike. The nights he went hungry, the days of endless thirst. He shook his head. Life was far better now than it was back then.

 

“Come on,” Inuyasha stated, “I need to get to the club and start getting ready. You might want to go to your natural size.”

 

There was a loud “poof” and a moment later Myoga was no more than half an inch tall sitting on Inuyasha’s shoulder. He jumped into his hair and they left the penthouse, plan in place.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Kagome, Sango and Miroku walked into the club to see that it was completely packed. They were shoulder to shoulder, wall to wall. Walking to the front towards the stage where the fight would take place was nearly impossible. Kagome was regretting her dress choice as more people rubbed against her.

 

She found a dress of Chinese red silk, but it was low cut and hugged every curve until flaring out a little past her hips, stopping mid-thigh with seams that opened up at her hip, so when she moved the right way, there was a risqué view of her bare hip and legs. Her legs were bare and she wore silk flats that matched the dress. The straps on the dress touched on the edge of her shoulders, causing a V-neck appearance that sank low into her cleavage, exposing a little more than she had anticipated. However, with all the looks she was getting, she figured she would probably get a few free drinks that night. Her hair was curled around her face and down her back, her eyes were touched lightly with a smoky accent and her lips had nothing more than cherry Chap Stick. 

 

Sango, as per usual, was wearing her punk outfit for the club. Fishnets and garters showed under her extra short leather zip up skirt, a skull belly button ring, crop top with fishnet sleeves and low cut to show off her excellent cleavage. Her long legs were pulled into knee high lace up boots that had a six inch spike heel, making her legs appear abnormally long. Her hair was also curled and down, but her makeup was black eyeshadow, black eye liner, and bright red lipstick.

 

Miroku, for once, dressed to match Sango. He wore baggy pants with chains and straps on them, a tight black tank top, two gold hoops in each ear and his hair was spiked. While not as extreme as Sango went, one could easily tell that they came together. Kagome looked like the odd one out, she didn’t look like she belonged in a fight club, and she looked like she was going to a nice dinner. They found their way to their seats, when Kagome realized that there was very few actual seats, for the most part it was standing room only. 

 

“What’s your poison? First round is on me,” Miroku yelled over the crowd.

 

“Gin and Tonic,” Sango yelled.

 

“Sex on the beach,” Kagome yelled. 

 

Miroku ran off leaving Sango and Kagome alone. 

 

“I have to say, I doubt Inuyasha will win this fight,” Sango stated, looking Kagome up and down.

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“He’s going to have a hard time concentrating on the fight with you in the front row. Especially with how low cut that dress is.”

 

Kagome blushed. “Do you think I should have worn something else?” she panicked.

 

Sango laughed. “Oh no, I think it’s perfect. It’s definitely more your style. Not for this club, but definitely more you. And it’ll be great at the rave tonight.”

 

Miroku appeared a moment later handing the girls their drinks. “I must say Kagome, you look absolutely stunning, are you trying to distract Inuyasha from the fight?”

 

Kagome began to blush more. “I thought I’d dress to impress,” Kagome whispered, covering her face.

 

“I must say, she is very impressive,” a deep voice behind Kagome boasted.

 

Kagome turned to see a tall man with stunning blue eyes. His hair was jet black and tied into a high pony tail, a fur headband to hold back his messy hair. He wore a breast plate for armor, fur gauntlets on his arms, fur shoulder pads, and what looked like fur leg warmers and wraps on his feet. It almost appeared he was wearing a fur kilt that stopped mid-thigh and from the back of the kilt appeared to be a long, bushy brown tail.

 

“Hey Koga, what’s with the outfit?” Sango asked, sniggering.

 

“Oh, we’re supposed to fight in traditional garb to when we were at our peak. Wait until you see dog-breath. He looks completely ridiculous.”

 

“You mean you used to wear that every day?” Miroku said, astonished.

 

“Yeah, back when the wolf demons held the mountains in Northern Japan. Don’t really dress like this anymore except for special occasions.”

 

A moment later a man dressed in all red came into her view. He was wearing a red kimono tucked into a pair of traditional red hakamas. His feet were bare. The kimono sleeves were different than what the modern kimonos looked, with slits showing the white robe underneath on the shoulders and the sleeves were long, nearly touching his knees. When Kagome finally looked at his face she nearly spit out her drink. There was Inuyasha, hair down, eyes sparkling, and a grin on his face.

 

“Oh my god,” Sango said, bursting into full blown laughter. Inuyasha glowered at her. Miroku laughed, patting Inuyasha hard on the back.

 

“I’m sorry, you should have warned us. You just look so…” Miroku trailed off.

 

“Believe it or not, princes would wear similar garb five hundred years ago.”

 

Koga laughed. “Yeah, but you’re not a prince. I am, or was anyway.”

 

“Yeah but I can still kick your ass.”

 

“What’d you say, half-breed?”

 

“Need me to spell it out, you mangy wolf?!” Inuyasha yelled, fists clenched, ready to punch him.

 

“Why you son of a---,” Koga began to yell, but suddenly a tall man with silver hair stepped between them, holding both of the men back. 

 

“Sesshoumaru, back out,” Inuyasha barked.

 

“Get in the ring, we’ll start soon,” the man called Sesshoumaru said nonchalantly. He was half a head taller than Inuyasha, leaner in build, with the same eyes and same silver coloring of hair. However, that’s where the resemblance ended. Sesshoumaru was paler than Inuyasha, his face showed absolutely no emotion. The markings on his face displayed that he was, most definitely, a demon. Two purple stripes on either side of his cheeks, and a crescent moon between his eyes. While Inuyasha’s voice had a harshness to it, Sesshoumaru’s was smooth as chocolate. 

 

Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome closely. “You must be the one my brother is enamored with. Don’t distract him.”

 

When he walked away, Miroku saw the confusion on Kagome’s face. 

 

“That’s Sesshoumaru’s older brother. They came to New York together. He’s the club owner.”

 

Kagome’s jaw dropped. “I had no idea he had a brother.”

 

“It’s alright, he’s not very open about that information. They’ve never gotten along well.”

 

A moment later an announcement was made about the fight starting in ten minutes, so everyone needed to get to their seats. Kagome sat in her seat, crossing her legs and sipping her drink. She was going to take it slow with the drink, hopefully not embarrass herself this time around.

 

A tall woman who looked no more than twenty years old wearing an orange and white checkered kimono stood on stage. Her hair had a partial pony tail and her eyes were bright, a very happy go lucky smile on her face. “Greetings and welcome to Taisho’s Dog Den! This is the Semi-Final Match between two of Japan’s most notorious Demon Fighters! 

 

“In this corner, we have the leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe of the Hida Mountains! During Feudal Times, he was the most feared of the Wolf Demon clan! Give it up for Koga!”

 

The room roared in applause, whistles and screams. Koga appeared in a puff of smoke, looking smug.

 

“And this corner we have the son of the Lord of the Western Lands from the Early Edo period! Born to a human princess, living in exile through feudal times and the final destroyer of the Shikon No Tama, we have Inuyasha!”

 

The crowd roared, making the room deafening. The lights went out and a moment later the lights turned to the center of the stage where Inuyasha was floating down, his fangs showing and his eyes glowing. Kagome could see that his claws were fully extended, as well as faint purple stripes appeared on his face. 

 

“All right guys, I want a clean fight. Winner continues to the final match at the Thunder Brothers next week.”

 

Both men glared at each other, the purple stripes completely gone now. Kagome wondered if they were a figment of her imagination. 

 

“Shake hands,” the woman demanded. They shook hands, and the woman ran out of the ring, landing near Kagome. “NOW FIGHT!”

 

As soon as their hands broke, Inuyasha swiped his claws with yellow light emitting from them, nearly catching Koga. Koga was fast, far too fast for Kagome to follow. She tried to follow their movements but it was proving nearly impossible.

 

Ten minutes went by when the bell sounded, both men returning to their corners. Both guys had blood either from their noses or their mouths, but they healed so quickly that by the time the second round started, their wounds were mostly healed.

 

“I didn’t know demons could heal so quickly,” Kagome commented.

 

“They can’t, but they have Jinenji’s potions,” Miroku whispered as Inuyasha was able to kick Koga right in the face, knocking him to the edge of the ring.

 

“Jinenji?” Kagome asked.

 

“He’s another half demon who’s particularly gifted with medicinal herbs. When demons came out of hiding, the first thing that happened is that medicines drastically improved. He knows mixtures to cure nearly any ailment. Super nice guy, he lives in Brooklyn.”

 

Kagome was astonished at how quickly Koga and Inuyasha were able to get up after falling down. Inuyasha never touched the ground, it seemed. As soon as he should have landed, he would catch himself on his hands and do a flip into the air, landing on his feet.

 

What was the most amusing though, were the insults. Every now and then you would hear the guys yell something along the lines of, “IS THAT ALL YOU GOT, YOU MANGY WOLF?!” “A LITTLE GIRL COULD KICK YOUR ASS DOG BREATH!”

 

Their taunts were the source of a lot of laughs. Kagome noticed that two seats down from here was the announcer. A very pretty young woman, but something seemed off about her as well.

 

“Who was the announcer?” Kagome whispered to Miroku, who looked over at the young woman.

 

“Oh, that’s Rin. Sesshoumaru’s mate.”

 

“She looks human,” Kagome commented.

 

“You would be correct in assuming that. Sesshoumaru’s a full demon and he has the wonderful ability to give part of his soul to a human. He gave it to Rin so that she would only die if he were to die. As long as she’s not fatally harmed. He keeps a very close eye on her.”

 

Kagome’s jaw dropped. “Can Inuyasha do that?”

 

Miroku thought about it. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Might be a full demon thing. But he adopted Rin when she was orphaned sometime in the Edo period. She’s a delight. Sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”

 

Kagome continued to stare at Rin, who had a worried look on her face. She was biting on her bottom lip watching the men. Kagome realized just how tiny she was, no more than five foot. Shapely, but absolutely tiny.

 

The bell for the second round finished and Inuyasha was in far worse shape. Blood was gushing from his nose and his eye was bruised. His silver hair was stained with blood. Kagome ran up to his corner to see his assistant washing the blood off his face with a green liquid. It cleared up the blood but the bruise was swelling to close his eye.

 

“Inuyasha are you all right?!” Kagome half screamed. Inuyasha turned to look at her and smiled.

 

“I will be if you kiss me,” he said in a soft voice. 

 

“What?” she gasped. 

 

“Kiss me, it’ll make the potion work more efficiently,” he whispered. He looked like he was about to pass out. 

 

“Inuyasha, I think your ribs are broken,” the assistant said, poking his ribs. Inuyasha gave a sharp intake of breath. “You may have to concede to the match.” 

 

“No way, I’ll work through it,” Inuyasha mumbled. Trying to get up, he sucked in sharply, his hand going over his stomach.

 

“Wait!” Kagome said, she pulled herself in the ring and grabbed Inuyasha’s face, kissing him. She could feel how warm his face was, how hot his breath was. His hand slid up into her hair, pulling her down to kiss him more deeply. There was a silence across the club, as he stood and pulled her into his arms. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck, both of them temporarily oblivious to the world.

 

When the kiss broke, she saw that he was grinning.

 

“Fooled you,” he whispered. He kissed her lightly on the nose and pushed her aside forcefully, nearly knocking her down. Tears threatened to fall, but she willed them back. Inuyasha stepped into the center of the ring. When Kagome looked at the assistant, a woman with red hair and green eyes, she winked at Kagome and hopped out of the ring. 

 

“You done putting on a show, dog breath?” Koga spat.

 

Kagome was stunned and humiliated. She looked down and saw that there was no blood or anything on her dress, at least. She climbed down into her seat and covered her face, hiding her anger.

 

“Who ever said it was a show?” Inuyasha yelled. The bell rang and Inuyasha dug his claws into his arm. “BLADES OF BLOOD!”

 

Red blades raced through the air, pelting Koga, covering him in cuts and knocking him out.

 

“KNOCK OUT!” Rin screamed into the microphone. She climbed into the ring and held up Inuyasha’s bloodied hand. “INUYASHA WILL CONTINUE TO THE FINALS!”

 

The crowd roared with approval. The sound was deafening. Inuyasha looked to the front row and saw Kagome giving him a dark look. His stomach sank, but his goal was attained. She would avoid him for the rest of the night.

 

Inuyasha returned to his dressing room, seeing Myoga hiding in a cup. 

 

“I’ll take a quick shower and we’ll get this plan on a roll,” Inuyasha whispered quietly. He went to the back of the room and washed down quickly, returning to the room with an angry Sango waiting for him. He was only wearing a towel around his waist.

 

“Mind explaining to me what the hell you did to Kagome?” Sango hissed. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her feet were in a defensive stance. She had fire in her eyes and a scowl that would make any person cower.

 

“I’ll explain everything later, but you need to leave,” Inuyasha snapped. 

 

“Do you have any idea how much she liked you?!” Sango yelled.

 

“I do, but now is not the time! GET OUT!” Inuyasha screamed, shoving Sango out of the room and slamming the door. Myoga jumped onto Inuyasha’s shoulder and bit down, sucking a substantial amount of blood. When Myoga was nearly quadrupled in size from the amount of blood, Inuyasha finally shooed him away.

 

Another “poof” and before Inuyasha stood a perfect copy of himself. Inuyasha threw him a pair of ripped jeans with chains dangling from the pockets. 

 

“What about boxers?” Myoga asked, staring at the jeans.

 

“That’s in case the ladies want a show tonight. Have fun with it.”

 

Myoga gave him a dark look and put the jeans on, which hung low, exposing the muscular abs and perfect “v”. Inuyasha pulled out the beads of subjugation and put them over Myoga’s head.

 

Myoga tried to take them off but they flashed white once they reached his chin, causing a look of panic.

 

“You weren’t kidding,” he exclaimed. “Do you think I need a shirt?”

 

Inuyasha shook his head. “No, just show off and be a total jerk to everyone tonight. And act smug, as if you won a tournament.”

 

Myoga smiled, showing off the newly acquired fangs. “Oh fear not, I will.”

 

Inuyasha pulled out the vials of amber liquid and drank both of them. He felt his stomach hurt for a moment and suddenly felt his body transform. His hair shortened to a mullet that was bright red, his skin took on a pale, pinkish hue and his eyes turned a bright green. His ears turned into normal, human ears and he grew about six inches. Inuyasha looked into the mirror at himself and the reflection of a young man covered in freckles and crooked teeth looked back. 

 

“I must say,” Inuyasha said in a voice that was far deeper than his normal tone, “Jinenji knows his stuff.”

 

He pulled out the Lapis prayer beads and wrapped them around his left forearm. He pulled on a baggy t-shirt and dark jeans. He found a pair of flip flops and slipped them on with a pair of dark rimmed glasses. There was a bottle of hair gel on the table next to him, so he spiked up his hair.

 

“How do I look?” Inuyasha asked his clone.

 

“You look like you need an ass beating,” replied Myoga. 

 

“Perfect, Jinenji did his job then. Let’s get going. You leave first, I’ll follow in about twenty minutes.”

 

“Inuyasha, be careful,” Myoga muttered, entering the club as the victor, arms up. “BOW DOWN TO THE MASTER!”

 

Inuyasha fiddled with his new red hair for a few more minutes, counting down until he went into the club. He sighed. This could be very dangerous. After twenty minutes he walked into the club that was nearly empty, walking down the streets of Harlem until he arrived at the abandoned warehouse hosting the rave.

 

He walked in and grabbed a red solo cup, drinking the bitter brew. He was never a fan of gin, but the taste helped relax him as he walked around. He was told that only high stress affected the potion, so he figured that alcohol shouldn’t be an issue. He didn’t see either of the thunder brothers, thankfully, nor did he smell any suspect demons. After an hour, he didn’t even hear anything interesting. Mostly people getting wasted, passing around joints, dancing to the music that was far louder than Inuyasha could tolerate. He looked to his right and saw Kagome with a drink in her hand, laughing and grinding against a young guy. The guy was blonde and obviously fit. His hand was on Kagome’s leg, sliding up her thigh to her exposed hip, his lips on her neck as she moved her hips to the music.

 

He felt jealousy rise up in his stomach, he wanted to shout at Kagome, to drag her away, but he knew that any recognition of her would blow his cover. He saw Sango and Miroku nearby dancing similarly, but making out as she ground her hips into his. He rolled his eyes and continued walking, when suddenly his nose picked up something.

 

It was Kagome’s scent, but it suddenly changed. He traced his way back and saw the guy with his arms wrapped around Kagome, as if he were making out with her, but what he noticed was that her body was limp. He was slowly dragging her off the dance floor, trying to look natural. To those around him, it would look fairly natural, but while she wasn’t completely passed out, he could see that she was barely conscious. He concentrated on her scent and realized that she had LSD in her system. 

 

He felt his blood boil. He discretely followed the guy to see that Kagome was put in a back room, where the guy came out, locked the door behind him and brushed off his clothes. 

 

The scent of a particularly pungent demon came to his nostrils. He almost puked at the smell. This particular demon’s aura was difficult to bear as well. Intertwined with it was also the smell of Hiten, the owner of the Thunder Brother’s.

 

His lead was correct. He pulled out a small camera and put it on his shirt so that everything would be recorded. He walked over to the door, careful to make sure nobody was watching, pressing his ear against it.

 

“I don’t know what you’re worried about,” a woman’s voice mulled. “This girl here is exactly what he’s looking for. Did you taste her? I’ve never tasted a girl so sweet. She’s almost like candy and her blood is making the LSD stronger. I’m hardly able to function right now.”

 

“It’s going to be hard to smuggle her away,” the voice of Hiten said. Inuyasha felt his blood boil. “I think I heard that the half-breed fighter has a thing for this one.”

 

“It’s taken care of, the half-breed is otherwise occupied with another right now.”

 

Inuyasha wondered what Myoga could be up to, but he didn’t have time to find out. He heard footsteps coming closer to the door. He ran around the corner so that the demon wouldn’t find him.

 

Hiten opened the door and looked around. “I could have sworn I smelled a human near by….” Hiten muttered.

 

“I wouldn’t’ worry about it. He was probably looking for a bathroom. Let’s get these women loaded up, and get the information on this one particularly. Make sure she won’t be missed as much as we think.”

 

“Yes, Kagura.”

 

He heard the door close again and Inuyasha made his way back to the door, hearing another door close from the other side of the room. Inuyasha tried the door and found it locked. He looked around and listened, making sure nobody would hear him, and he put all of his strength into the door, kicking it open.

 

Two women lay on the floor in the room. Kagome and a red headed girl. Kagome’s eyes were half open and she was moaning, trying to move her arms but they were flailing around unresponsively. 

 

“Are you here to take us to the rabbit hole?” Kagome said dreamily, reaching out to him 

 

Inuyasha stared at her, her dress was disarrayed. He didn’t smell any other foul play but the drugs, but he may have come just in time for these girls. He picked up Kagome and threw her over his shoulder and pulled up the other girl into his arms. He looked around to make sure nobody saw him, sneaking his way around the room and looking for an exit. He found one without being spotted and made his way through the alleys. 

 

The girl in his arms flailed quite a bit, making it difficult to carry both women. He got frustrated, worried that Hiten and that Kagura women would come back for them. Then another smell hit his nose, Kagome had lost consciousness. They had given her too much. She was overdosing.

 

He began to panic. He pulled out his phone and thought about calling the police, but it might jeoparadize his complete undercover assignment. He stared at his phone and decided to call Miroku.

 

Miroku answered on the second call, he could hear the rave in the background. “Inuyasha, now is not a great time, we can’t find Kagome---“

 

“I have Kagome,” Inuyasha said in his disguise voice. Miroku was silent for a moment.

 

“Who is this?” Miroku asked in a panicked voice.

 

“Go to the alley on 7th and 128th, bring Sango and if you can, bring a damn cab.” Inuyasha hung up, knowing that Sango and Miroku would panic. The other girl was just high as high goes, not overdosing, but Kagome was conscious again, moving around.

 

“I can fly…” she said softly, trying to climb onto a garbage can. Inuyasha pulled her down by her waist, where she turned and wrapped her legs around his waist.

 

“I bet you’re a Pegasus and you could take me to the moon,” she sang, giggling and reaching her arms around. The look on her face was that of someone who was going back and forth between a nightmare and a pleasant dream. “I’m unlovable you know,” she said to Inuyasha as she slid down his legs, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Her legs stayed open, exposing her panties.

 

“You’re not unlovable,” Inuyasha told her, wishing Miroku would hurry up. 

 

“It’s true, I am,” she said as she started crying. “My family betrayed me so, I moved here to start fresh and the only guy I like is a total jerk. I saw him at the rave you know,” she mentioned, fully sobbing now.

 

Inuyasha looked at her. She started wailing. “He was kissing another girl and told me to get a life!” This only lasted for a minute, then she stood up and tried to climb the brick wall. “I bet I could be spiderman.”

 

The other girl started to move around. “Why is everything ty-dye? Oh my god, that girl is melting! SAVE HER!” She jumped up and tackled Kagome, making Inuyasha pin them both down in the alley. Kagome started to lose consciousness again, a severe amount of drool coming from her mouth. She started to claw at her arm until she was bleeding.

 

“THE BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE! THE BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE!” Kagome screamed, sobbing as Inuyasha restrained her arms. She started to try to rip out her hair as she was sobbing, kicking him several times. The other girl just played with her toes giggling.

 

A cab pulled up and Miroku and Sango ran out of the car. The scene was a disaster One girl was playing with her toes while singing “once upon a dream,” while the other girl was being physically restrained and screaming, and the guy restraining them was huge.

 

Miroku pulled Inuyasha off of him and punched him in the face. “Who the hell are you?!”

 

“It’s me you idiot, I have a concealment spell on,” Inuyasha barked. He held up the lapis beads on his arm. Miroku recognized the beads from Inuyasha’s house. “Quick, we have to get these girls to Jinenji, he has a treatment for them. Kagome is starting to overdose.”

 

Sango tried to grab Kagome but Kagome was clawing at her face, causing Sango to bleed.

 

“YOU’RE MELTING AND THE BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE!” Kagome sobbed, kicking and flailing everywhere. Her arms were completely caked in blood, her legs were scratched and tears were rolling down her face as she started to foam at the mouth in complete hysteria.

 

Inuyasha was able to restrain her arms again as he dragged her into the cab, where Kagome continued to scream in anguish. The cab driver looked at them in complete disbelief.

 

“Take us to Brooklyn, Verona Street in Red Hook,” Inuyasha snapped as Miroku carried the other girl into the car. She was now trying to catch imaginary fireflies.

 

The cab driver started to drive, but slowly, looking back at the people in the car. Finally, Inuyasha pulled out his wallet and threw four hundred dollars on the seat. “Get us there fast.”

 

The cab driver stepped on it, running lights and within ten minutes, they had arrived. The cab driver looked scared for the girls.

 

“It’s okay, we’re helping them. I know it looks strange, but I promise, we’re helping them,” Inuyasha said as he dragged a sobbing Kagome who was just now in a ball on the floor, shaking and asking for death. He saw that her face was flushed and her eyes were fully dilated. 

 

The group walked two blocks until they found what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Inuyasha went to a side door while dragging Kagome and walked in to be greeted with black lights and rows upon rows of medicinal herbs. 

 

A large demon with dark brown skin and covered in scars saw them enter. He had large, blue eyes, a face similar to the shape of a bull’s, a low pony tail and was easily 9 feet tall. He had three fingers on each hand, if you can call them that, which were covered in the dark earth he was currently cultivating.

 

“Jinenji,” Inuyasha panted, dragging the crying Kagome and the blonde girl. “These girls were given LSD, a lot of it. Kagome is overdosing--,”

 

He didn’t have to say anymore. Jinenji was running to the otherside of the warehouse going through hundreds of bottles of herbs. He found one extract and brought it over to the girls.

 

“I need you to open your mouth,” Jinenji said softly. His voice was soothing, quiet, like a mother shushing her baby. Kagome stopped sobbing and looked at him wide eyed, slowly opening her mouth. Jinenji put a couple of drops in her mouth and Kagome instantly fell limp in his arms.

 

“What did you do?!” Sango screamed, lunging at Jinenji. Inuyasha grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her away.

 

“It neutralizes the chemicals in her body and puts her to sleep. Don’t worry though, she’ll have pleasant dreams. Now you, my dear, what is your name?”

 

“It’s Wendy, I think,” said the girl. Her gold sequin dress was covered in dirt and Kagome’s blood.

 

“Alright Wendy, open your mouth,” Jinenji said softly, his eyes flashing bright blue for a second. She smiled and opened her mouth willingly. He put two drops in her mouth and she collapsed, falling asleep instantly.

 

“Inuyasha, take the beads off and I’ll reverse the disguise for you,” Jinenji said. Inuyasha put the beads in his pocket and Jinenji handed him a sugar cube. Inuyasha felt the cube dissolve and felt his stomach hurt once more, feeling his height go down and his hair grow. After a moment the transformation was complete. 

 

“What the hell is going on, Inuyasha,” Sango half shouted. Jinenji jumped at her voice. 

 

“Would you like something to calm you? I have something that would ease your burdens,” Jinenji stated, pointing to the green herb that so many students sought after.

 

“I do not need to get high right now!” Sango roared. Jinenji jumped and moved a few feet away.

 

“Inuyasha, what the hell just happened?” Miroku yelled. His voice was angry as well. 

 

Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair, he was so frustrated. Jinenji went back to his medicine cabinet and found tinctures for Kagome’s arms. He picked up Kagome gently and brought her to the nearby table, washing off the dried blood and calming the wounds.

 

“I heard that at the Thunder Brother’s, they’re kidnapping girls to feed to a demon visiting the City next week,” Inuyasha admitted. “I had a lead that they were going to drug girls at the rave to see if they could find a girl that the guy would approve of. Either Kagome or this girl, Wendy? Anyway, one of them is a perfect match.”

 

“They were going to kill them?!” Sango screamed. Jinenji jumped at Sango’s shrill scream.

 

“No, demons get high off human blood tainted with drugs. Most demons like blood with heroin in it, but the humans have to get high off of it first. However, LSD has similar results,” he said, looking at the sleeping Kagome. 

 

“Has this been going on long?” Miroku asked.

 

“For a while, but it was mostly homeless drug addicts who would get paid for their blood, who would buy the drugs from the people buying their blood so they’d never leave the dens. Apparently the Thunder Brothers were tasked with finding a perfect specimen for the diplomat visiting. The diplomat likes young girls who are inexperienced drug users. Considering the overdose Kagome just went through, I’m assuming that they’re looking at her more than the other girl,” Inuyasha confessed. “I was undercover tonight to see if the rumors were true. I got some evidence, but not enough to put the thunder brothers away.”

 

“That’s why you asked me to go undercover for you,” Sango stated. Miroku went completely still.

 

“Yeah, but that’s also why I was relieved when you said no,” Inuyasha countered. Miroku chose this moment to punch Inuyasha square in the jaw.

 

Inuyasha wasn’t expecting it and he was knocked on the ground. He wiped the blood from his mouth. “What the hell is your problem?”

 

“You were going to risk this happening to Sango?! ARE YOU INSANE?” Miroku screamed. 

 

“WELL SHE DIDN’T SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!” Inuyasha yelled back.

 

Sango’s eyes went wide. “Wait,” she lowered her voice to a very low whisper. “Aren’t you worried about Jinenji hearing about it?”

 

“No,” Inuyasha said normally. “He’s on the same taskforce as me. Mostly he provides me and the other guy with potions and advice about how to go about it. He’s the most reliable person in the city.”

 

Jinenji smiled at the remark as he finished wrapping the bandages around Kagome’s arms. 

 

“She’ll wake up in a few hours. You may want to take her home.”

 

“What about Wendy?” Miroku asked, staring at the girl sleeping on the floor. 

 

“I’ll take care of her. She lives nearby, I’ve seen her before,” Jinenji responded. He picked up Wendy and brought her to his cot, covering her with a blanket. Inuyasha pulled out his phone and texted Myoga.

 

Get out of there and meet me at the penthouse in thirty minutes. 

 

Inuyasha was about to pick up Kagome, but Jinenji stopped him.

 

“You’re still at the rave, right?” Jinenji asked Inuyasha. 

 

Miroku and Sango exchanged confused looks. Inuyasha nodded and Jinenji handed him a blue vial. “That’ll get you one hour. Put the beads on, the beads will give you another thirty minutes as needed.”

 

Inuyasha drank the blue potion and he turned into the tall red-head once more. He wrapped the beads around his wrist and picked up Kagome, who snuggled into his chest. 

 

“You guys go back to the dorms. I’ll explain everything to Kagome. Don’t breathe a word to anybody,” Inuyasha emphasized.

 

Miroku and Sango nodded, unsure of what to make of the situation. 

 

They left in separate cabs, Inuyasha carrying Kagome up the stairs to his penthouse. Myoga was waiting for him in the living room.

 

“What happened to the girl, Lord Inuyasha?” Myoga exclaimed. Inuyasha reached over and pulled the beads off of Myoga. In a quick “poof,” Myoga transformed into a small man with four arms once more. Inuyasha pulled the beads off and felt the potion wear off instantly. 

 

“My hunch was right. She’s in danger. Go home, I’ll explain everything to her.”

 

Myoga bowed to Inuyasha, seeing himself out. 

 

Inuyasha laid Kagome on his bed, putting a blanket over her. 

 

He had a long talk ahead of him in the morning.

Author’s note: I’m sorry if my depiction of an LSD overdose is so weird. I looked it up online and I was a little confused, so I guessed my way through. I hope you liked it! MOAR COMMENTS=MOAR CHAPTERS 

 

Xoxo


	6. A New Plan is Hatched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha reveals his true identity to Kagome, and hatches a plan to bring down the demon underground.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. I don’t make any money on this. I swear.

 

The sun was peeking through the windows when Kagome opened her eyes. She squinted, her head feeling fuzzy and she was unfamiliar with the surroundings. As the room came into focus, she found two amber eyes staring intently into her own. 

 

Her look went from confused to pure anger. 

 

“You!” she screamed, throwing pillows at him. “You did this to me!” 

 

“No I didn’t! If you would just listen to me, I can explain everything!” he yelled back, dodging the pillows.

 

She was out of the bed, but the rush of moving caused her to become severely dizzy and she collapsed, holding her head as she sit on the floor next to the bed.

 

“Please tell me nothing happened last night,” she begged, trying to hold on to her anger.

 

“Nothing really happened last night, but if you’ll let me explain, it will make a lot more sense,” he told her. He lifted her under her arm pits and sit her back down on the bed.

 

“Can I get something to drink?” she asked him, still glaring.

 

“Sure. I’ll be right back.” He left the room, returning a few minutes later with a tray of food and a tall glass of a green liquid. He motioned for her to get back under the covers, arranging the pillows behind her back so she sat more comfortably while sitting up. Begrudgingly, she agreed, but not without giving him dirty looks. 

 

“What’s that?” Kagome asked, pointing to the green liquid.

 

“It’s a potion to help you recover. Jinenji sent it over after you fell asleep last night. He said you’d be pretty groggy this morning.”

 

Kagome eyed it suspiciously, giving him a strange look. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and took the drink, taking a large gulp.

 

“Trust me, if it’s poisoned, I’ll be throwing up in a minute.”

 

A full five minutes passed in silence and Inuyasha was unaffected. She was feeling worse with each passing moment. Her stomach was growling at her in protest, her body was weak. Finally, she caved in and drank it. It tasted putrid, but after she got the glass down, her body began to regain strength quickly. Her stomach settled, her head cleared. 

 

“I told you it would help,” he told her. She glared at him, taking a bite of the toast and staring at the bowl of… she had no idea.

 

“What is that?” she said, pointing to the bowl of white goo.

 

“Oh, it’s rice porridge. It’s easy on the stomach. I have miso soup too if you want any.”

 

Kagome shook her head, taking a bite of the bland porridge. Inuyasha fiddled with his hands for a minute. She finished the food in front of her and he took the tray, putting it on the dresser across from the bed. He returned to the bed, sitting on the edge as he hunched over his knees, trying to find the words to explain without giving away too much. He was realizing that this was on a need-to-know basis, and he really didn’t feel comfortable telling her anything. At this point, however, she was too involved. He needed to tell her. 

 

“What I’m about to tell you is top secret and you cannot repeat it to anyone. Sango knows, but only because she’s been helping me with the case. However, I don’t want you two discussing it because you never know who is listening.” Kagome stared at him with an unreadable look. She didn’t know whether or not she could trust him. He sighed, got up and moved to the dresser, digging through the top drawer until he found a black wallet and sat on the bed. He opened it to reveal a silver badge.

 

“You’re a cop?!” Kagome half shouted. He could see the confusion on her face, which gave him courage to continue.

 

“Kind of. I’m actually an undercover detective. I work in a special division for demon crimes. Since I blend in to both, kind of, I can gain intelligence that most people would never be able to obtain. The fight club is my alias, although I make quite a bit doing that too. Jinenji is also on the task force, he provides disguises for me when I’m really deep undercover, like last night, as well as other intelligence as to what demons buy which potions.”

 

Kagome didn’t know what to think. “You weren’t in disguise last night, I saw you. I remember you at the rave! You were shacking up with---,” Kagome started to yell, but Inuyasha interrupted her.

 

“That wasn’t me. That was a friend of mine disguised as me.”

 

“So you didn’t kiss me in front of everyone last night?!” she screamed. She felt tears well up in her eyes. She felt completely disgusting now. She was a ploy in his case. A piece in his games. He was using her only to get information for a case. She felt like she was completely played and used. 

 

“No, that was me. I was trying to make you mad so you’d avoid me later in the night. I switched into the disguise after the fight was over. At the rave, I was the tall red headed guy who was staring at you.”

 

Kagome tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. She felt completely and utterly betrayed. “I don’t remember a red headed guy.”

 

“That’s because you were making out with some blonde guy,” Inuyasha growled. Kagome turned red.

 

“We were just dancing… He found me after I saw you, well, who I thought was you, making out with a demon. I confronted you and you pretended not to know me and told me to back off. I started dancing with him, he kissed me… then I woke up here,” she muttered. Why couldn’t she remember anything? Finally, she noticed that her arms were covered in bandages.

 

“What happened to my arms?” she asked. For some reason she had the feeling that there had been bugs crawling all over her body. She thought that she had had a nightmare of bugs under her skin in an alley. At least, she thought it was an alley. It was a dream, right?

 

“You were forced to take LSD and you overdosed. You were literally ripping the skin off your arms and ripping your hair out. Jinenji gave you a potion to stop the LSD and put you to sleep. He’s the one that wrapped up your arms. If he did it right, you won’t even have scars.”

 

Kagome took the bandages off and her arms were baby soft and pink. She moved her hands to her head and felt a small bald spot under her hair. She realized that her hair was completely matted and there were literal chunks of hair missing. 

 

Inuyasha saw her face go from curiosity to full blown horror, and she began to sob. “My hair…” she cried. She pulled her knees up to her chin and began sobbing, hugging her knees to her chest. He could hear her wailing, trying to figure out a way to comfort her.

 

“You can’t even tell,” Inuyasha assured her. She continued crying. “But my associate was specifically told to avoid you, I guess he took that to mean to shack up with other girls,” he growled, but Kagome was preoccupied. She barely heard him. All she could think about was how messed up her hair was going to look. She was thinking how foolish she was, letting herself get drugged at a rave. She had been warned about that, and now it had happened.

 

“What else happened?” Kagome asked, sniffling quietly.

 

“I can’t divulge too much information about the actual case, but you are in danger,” he told her. He regretted telling her that, but he had no other option. Then again, the wheels in his head began turning. He began to think. What if he did divulge more information? What if he brought her in on the case? His thoughts were interrupted by Kagome’s shaky voice.

 

“I wasn’t... raped, was I?” There was a sinking feeling on her face. He saw that her face was completely ashen, scared, tears streaming down her face.

 

“Oh no, nothing like that. I got you out of there shortly after you first passed out. You were alone with another girl who was drugged and two demons for maybe five minutes. I was listening outside the door to make sure it didn’t get that far. I had to be cautious to not blow my cover.” She let out a sigh in relief. At least she wasn’t attacked. 

 

“What am I going to do?” she asked him.

 

“Well I can’t tail you all the time, but I do have someone who can. I’ll introduce you to him later. Are you feeling more yourself now?” 

 

She let the covers drop and stretched her legs out. She wiped her eyes and let out a small sob. “I’m okay I guess. I do feel better. But I feel really grimy.” She was lying and they both knew it. She was in terrible shape. Her body ached, her emotions were on high alert. She had just learned far more information than she could digest. 

 

“How about you go take a shower and I’ll get you some clothes. Take your time. I’ll call my guys to introduce you and we’ll work from there as to what to do next,” he said gently, reaching over to squeeze her hand. 

 

She gave him a weak smile and stood up. Her dress was horribly stained with dirt and possibly blood. It was probably ruined. She felt tears well up again.

 

“Don’t worry, my housekeeper can get stains out of anything,” he told her. “Go get in the shower.”

 

Kagome walked over to the bathroom and locked the door. She stripped down and saw a set of towels and a large fluffy bathrobe. There was a small basket of assorted soaps. She looked in the mirror and saw just how bad she looked. She gave raccoons a run for their money with the dark circles. Her hair was everywhere and patchy. She had scratches on her shoulders that she assumed Jinenji didn’t see. Her body was bruised badly. She felt the tears well up again, but she bit them back. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. She saw that he had a large bathtub with jets and she figured that a long bath was in order. 

 

When Inuyasha heard the water running, he called Sango.

 

“Is she okay?” Sango asked frantically. She answered on the second ring and didn’t even say hello.

 

“She’s’ fine, she’s in the shower. Could you bring some clothes over for her? I need to fill you in about the case. Bring Miroku. I’m calling in Myoga and Shippo as well. Possibly Jinenji.”

 

Sango was quiet for a moment. “This sounds serious.”

 

“I have an idea and I need full cooperation.”

 

Inuyasha called down the list. Jinenji was the first to arrive. The potion he used made him look exactly as Inuyasha had looked the night before. Once entering the apartment he ate a sugar cube and turned into his giant self, giving Inuyasha a reluctant smile.

 

“How is she this morning?” he asked gently, sitting down on the sofa, taking up two cushions. 

 

“She’s pretty beat up. There were some other scratches that looked bad and some bruising showed up this morning. She’s taking a bath right now. I’ve filled her in on a lot of what has been going on and I think I have a plan to get the information I need, so I’m bringing in a few people working the case.”

 

Jinenji pulled out an old leather bag and looked through. He pulled out a small vial of a green liquid and a small bag of tea leaves. 

 

“I have some tea that will make her feel much better and will help heal her faster. The vial will finish healing the scratches so they don’t scar. Unfortunately you have to walk off the bruises, but the tea will help the bruising go away faster.” Inuyasha smiled. Jinenji was possibly the kindest demon he had ever met, a bleeding heart for those around him. He took the vial and the tea and brought them to the kitchen, turning on the stove for the tea kettle.

 

Another knock at the door, Inuyasha opened it to let in Sango and Miroku. Sango had a bag of clothes for Kagome and looked relieved to see Jinenji there.

 

“She’s in the bath still. She might let you in,” Inuyasha told Sango, which she nodded and began to head towards the bath, but Jinenji grabbed her arm.

 

“Wait, here,” he said, pulling out a bath bomb. “Tell her to put this in the bath, it’ll help her sore muscles.”

 

Sango smiled. “What would we do without you, Jinenji?” 

 

He blushed as Sango walked away. 

 

“So Inuyasha, what all have you told her?” Miroku asked, getting right down to business.

 

Inuyasha sighed. “I told her I was a detective and that I’m investigating a case that causes me to go undercover quite a bit. I didn’t tell her about the actual case yet, but I think I may need her help in order to get this case closed, which is why I’m calling everyone here today.”

 

The door opened to Myoga and a tall red headed man. The man was Japanese, but his hair was bright orange and he had green eyes. His ears were pointed, and except for the bushy fox tail, he looked completely human. 

 

“Shippo, long time no see,” Inuyasha called out to him. Shippo rolled his eyes.

 

“You think there was a reason for that?” Shippo called back. “I’m not a kid anymore, I don’t need you to babysit me like in the old days.”

 

“Whatever, runt. I saved your skin more times than you can count.”

 

Shippo growled at Inuyasha and he growled back. The tea kettle began whistling and Inuyasha excused himself.

 

“You know Shippo, if you stopped picking fights with him, you might get along better with him,” Miroku suggested. Shippo shrugged.

 

“We’ve always had more fun beating each other up,” he replied coolly. “However, we’ve been seeing each other more frequently because of this case. It’s frustrating as hell.”

 

“Oh really? Inuyasha didn’t mention it,” Sango replied as she walked into the room. “Kagome said thank you for the bath bomb, she’ll be out in a few minutes. She said she’s feeling much better now.”

 

Jinenji replied with a kind smile. Inuyasha had a cup of tea in his hand when Kagome came out of the bathroom. Her eyes were a little blood shot from crying, but she looked far better now that she was cleaned up. He cringed when he saw the patches of hair missing, a couple of small bald spots. He saw that she tried to hide them, but it was completely useless.

 

“Here,” Inuyasha said, holding out the tea. “This will help the bruises heal faster. Also, take this vial. Shoot it. It’s good, but it tastes terrible.”

 

Kagome wanted to ask about why there were so many people there in the room, but she shrugged and drank the potion and started to sip the tea. Her strength was returning far faster than she had anticipated. 

 

She sat down on an overstuffed chair near Jinenji, with Sango on the floor next to her. Myoga stayed standing and Shippo was standing with his hands behind his back, watching the room.

 

“Kagome, this is Shippo. He’s a fox demon who I’ve known for quite a number of years,” Inuyasha stated, addressing Shippo.

 

“Four hundred, to be exact,” Shippo corrected. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

 

“A fox demon?” Kagome asked. “I’ve read about fox demons. They’re tricksters, aren’t they?”

 

Shippo smiled. “We’re illusionists. We can also change the surroundings.”

 

“They’re very good at finding out information since they can change shapes so easily. Shippo is particularly skilled in gathering information. He’s been working this particular case with me.”

 

Shippo smiled, showing off his fangs. 

 

“This is Jinenji,” Inuyasha said while pointing his hand at Jinenji. Jinenji bowed his head in response. “Jinenji is the potions master, so to speak. He is extremely skilled in creating antidotes for poisons and drugs, as well as making disguises for humans and demons alike.” 

 

“Mostly I try to make cures for ailments, but the disguises was a bit of fun. I didn’t expect to be so good at it,” Jinenji confessed. Kagome gave him a warm smile.

 

“And this is Myoga, he’s actually a flea demon. He’s the associate you saw last night. He’s also quite skilled at changing forms, particularly into me.”

 

Myoga bowed his head. “I’m sorry if I caused you distress, I was unaware that Lord Inuyasha and you were so well acquainted.”

 

There was a knock at the door and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He opened the door to see Rin with Jakken.

 

“Did you have to bring the toad?” Inuyasha grunted as Rin walked passed. She was wearing a floral dress and her hair was in a bun. 

 

“You know the answer to that, brother,” Rin said in an annoyingly upbeat tone. She tugged on his ear as she walked passed, causing Inuyasha to give her a scowl. 

 

“I think you remember Rin, my brother’s mate,” Inuyasha scowled. 

 

“Hi Kagome. Never mind Inuyasha, he’s pretty sweet most of the time,” Rin said, shaking her hand. She gave her a warm smile and sat down on the love seat across from Kagome. 

 

“I should also explain that Sango is not as young as you either,” Inuyasha confessed.

 

“I got this Inuyasha,” Sango said. “I’m actually seven years older than you, working undercover on campus.”

 

“What?! You told me that you did inspections at the clubs!” Kagome exclaimed.

 

“I do that too, but I said I was the assistant. That was a lie. I actually run the department. Since I look really young, I was asked to move to New York City after closing a high profile case in Seattle a few years back. Inuyasha and I were assigned to each other. He’s part of a demon task force that goes undercover, I give the assignments and relay information for him. Currently on campus I’m watching if there’s any disappearances. That’s why I’m always gone, but never doing homework.”

Kagome’s jaw dropped. “So what about…”

 

Miroku cleared his throat. “I’m a forensic specialist working on my master’s at NYU. I actually am a student, but I help with crime scenes as needed. Sango and I met when I was helping her with a murder case.”

 

“So why did you take such a special interest in me when I first moved into the dorms?” Kagome asked. 

 

“Honestly, I was trying to find an out of towner to live with me. I needed a cover, but mostly, I was just trying to be friendly.”

 

Kagome bit her lip. 

 

“Anyway,” Inuyasha interrupted, looking rather annoyed. “The reason I called everyone here is I think Kagome may be the person to finally close this case,” Inuyasha stated.

 

There was an audible gasp from everyone in the room. 

 

“Last night I heard Hiten and someone named Kagura say that Kagome or the other girl were perfect for what they were looking for. If that’s the case, we can have Kagome go undercover and get the intelligence we need to put it to close.”

 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Miroku half yelled. “She could be killed!”

 

“She’s not trained!” Sango screeched. 

 

“We can train her,” Inuyasha countered. “We can protect her, that’s why everyone is here!”

 

Everyone began to yell over one another, arguing about how competent Kagome would be. Finally, Rin stood up and climbed on top of the coffee table.

 

“What about Kagome? Doesn’t she have a say in this?” Rin called out. Everyone grew silent and stared at Kagome.

 

“What say you, Kagome? Would you be willing to go undercover? You would be compensated, obviously. But it would be dangerous,” Myoga asked. “You could be killed.”

 

“Well, what exactly is going on?” Kagome asked.

 

“Humans have been disappearing. First it was just the homeless population. Some demon clubs have back rooms where they sell drugs since it’s difficult for a demon to get a job in the first place. The black market is mostly run by demons now,” Shippo explained. 

 

“Demons discovered a few years ago that a human high on a drug causes psychedelic reactions in them as well. Human blood gives a natural high to most demons anyway, which is why demons were eating humans for so many years. Drugs however, do not have any effect on them. When the drugs are in the blood of humans though, they get high as humans would, which has caused a huge black market for human blood tainted with drugs,” Miroku continued to explain.

 

“Demons were willing to pay a steep price for it, so homeless people could make a king’s ransom selling their blood. However, demons caught on that most of the people would use the money that they made selling their blood to buy more drugs, so they made it equal priced. People began wasting away in these dens, so the homeless problem disappeared. Demons started needing more variety so they would find people who were on the brink of it and force drugs into their systems,” Inuyasha picked up. “The trafficking problem just increased tenfold. Now children in foster homes, disabled individuals with no families, sometimes rotten parents selling their kids on the black market… The trafficking is becoming heavily fueled by demon’s wanting a good high. However, in the past year, it’s gotten completely out of hand. It’s not even predictable anymore.”

 

Kagome’s jaw dropped. 

 

“Anyway,” Sango interjected. “The problem now is that usually people who weren’t really missed were going missing, so the police weren’t on top of it like they should have been. Hard to find people who were hardly in the system to begin with. Now more people are going missing and at an alarming rate, so for the past year Inuyasha and I have been working on finding out why these people are going missing. The pattern we discovered was young girls from age 12 to 24. People over thirty rarely disappear, and really young kids don’t disappear. We haven’t even found bodies of anyone missing recently, which is more concerning. I’m afraid that their flesh is being sold by the pound on the black market.”

 

Kagome covered her mouth. “What?!”

 

“Demons will gladly pay a high price to have human flesh to eat, its part of why demons were so reluctant to come into the open again. Humans thought we died out, when really we just went underground. All the paranormal species came together and decided to come out all at once so there would be less panic. You know the history from there, world peace was achieved nearly instantly when the military began enlisting vampires and demons into secret agencies,” Inuyasha added off handedly. Kagome’s face held the utter look of horror.

 

“I was thinking of sending you into one of the dens, but you’d be wearing a wire and you would be heavily guarded,” Inuyasha stated. “You would be protected, but we would have to do some basic training with you to ensure that you wouldn’t get killed.”

 

The group began to argue amongst themselves. Inuyasha was insisting that Kagome would be able to handle the operation with their help, Miroku was arguing that it was far too dangerous, Sango agreed. Shippo just watched with a smile, Myoga was yelling over everyone that protection would be easy enough. Jinenji just kept his head down, refusing to speak.

 

“Alright ENOUGH!” Kagome yelled. “Let me think about it. This is a lot of information to take in. I’m exhausted. I just want to go to my dorm and sleep.”

 

“How long do you need to decide?” Rin piped up.

 

Kagome thought about it. She didn’t want to put a time limit on it.

 

“Let us know by the end of the week. If we don’t hear anything, we’ll assume you’re not interested. Shippo, I need you to discretely tail her so that if any of the guys slink around, we’ll know. Also fucking protect her,” Inuyasha snarled.

 

“Don’t get mad, Inuyasha. You’re not the greatest at protecting. I remember when Kikyo---,” Shippo began to say, but Inuyasha punched him right in the jaw.

 

“Do what I say,” he said point blank. 

 

“Kagome,” Rin began to say, reaching over and grabbing Kagome’s hand. “You can say no, it is okay. If you ever feel like you’re in danger, come find me at Taisho’s, Sesshoumaru and I can provide protection if you ever feel unsafe.”

 

Kagome stood up, and walked towards the door. 

 

“You’ll know by Friday.”


	7. Kagome's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has an internal battle with the decision she has to make---help the police, or save her own skin? 
> 
> Inuyasha begins to slowly cave into his own carnal desire.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

It was 2 in the morning when Kagura stepped out of her car. She looked around to see groups of prostitutes on the corners, cars drove by slowly and the drivers were holding out wads of cash. She looked to see an alley filled with trash cans, and on top of the trash can was a black cat with red eyes.

 

She nodded to the cat and the cat closed its eyes slowly, as if to acknowledge her. The cat ran off shortly after as Kagura walked the two blocks to the Thunder Brother’s Fights and Lights. The crowds were pretty much gone at this point, but she knew the real business would be in the basement. She walked to the back of the bar and let herself in through the door that led down a set of stairs. When she got to the bottom there was a reinforced steel door with a fox asleep next to the door.

 

“Shikon,” Kagura stated. The fox, who had appeared asleep, nodded and opened the door. Kagura walked in to see a wide array of activities before her. While the upstairs was practically dead, this room was jam packed. Humans of every age shooting up or riding out the high. Demons sitting nearby, drooling at the humans. A few vampires were even in the room, sliding money to an incredibly large demon who looked like a blanched round ball with a low pony tail and three hairs on top of his head. 

 

His voice sounded almost comical, as Kagura remembered Monten, the other Thunder Brother. His books were open and he was adding up the figures when Kagura approached the bar.

 

“Greetings, Monten,” Kagura said, pulling a white and red fan from inside of her kimono.

 

Monten looked up and the look of pure terror appeared on his face. “Ka-Kagura! What are y-you doing h-h-here?” he stammered.

 

“I’m looking for your brother.”

 

She let her fan fall half way open, causing him to shutter. “Y-yes, of course! Let me find him!” He got up, spilling a drink all over the books and knocking over a chair in his haste. He went to a door and knocked frantically.

 

A moment later Hiten came out, a dark look on his face. “What is it, Kagura?”

 

“Naraku has decided to delay his trip until December. I figured the extra time to find the girl would be beneficial to you.”

 

Hiten and Monten both looked visibly relieved. “Why has he decided to delay the trip?” Hiten asked.

 

Kagura smiled. “Oh, you know, business. It’s not easy being a diplomat when you run the Japanese black market,” she said off handedly, waiving her hand. 

 

Monten was still staring at the hand holding the half open fan. Kagura followed his gaze and suddenly she waved her fan, causing sharp slashes of air through the room, knocking over tables, cutting holes in the walls. One person had a severe cut in his shoulder and fell to the ground screaming. Everyone in the room panicked and began screaming.

 

“If you do not find the girl by the time Naraku is here, he will personally ensure that you both cease to exist!”

 

She turned her heel and walked out, the fox demon guarding the door staring at her intently. She flipped a coin to him and let herself out, seeing that the bartender upstairs was selling drugs under the counter. 

 

She walked back into street, finding the prostitutes on the corner. She heard of a rumor that one of the prostitutes had a telepathic child. She had a plan, but in order to hatch it, she needed to see if this rumor was true, and if it was, to use the child. 

 

She went up to a blonde prostitute wearing nothing but a tube top and a spandex mini skirt with six inch platforms. The marks on her arm showed that she was a heavy drug user, making Kagura smile even more broadly.

 

“I need a half demon child, can you assist me?” she commanded.

 

The woman smiled. “You can have my kid,” she stated. “He’s pretty useless.”

 

“What kind of demon is he? What powers does he possess?” 

 

She thought about it. “Not sure what kind of demon, but he gets himself into trouble quite a bit. He makes people get really pissed really easily. I usually have to leave him locked up.”

 

Kagura smiled. “Perfect, where is he?”

 

“What do you want him for?”

 

Kagura gave her a cold smile that was impossible to decipher. 

 

The woman held out her hand. Kagura continued to stare at her.

 

“Oh he’s expensive if you want him for the night. Not many six year olds working the streets you know,” she stated. “If you want to see my kid, you gotta pay.”

 

Kagura put a wad of 20s in her hand, the woman smiled. “Right this way,” she gestured, walking two blocks to a seedy hotel. She opened the room and Kagura was met with the smell of unclean flesh and sickness. The room was heavy with the sour smell of human filth. She saw drugs openly on the table, a variety of pills, a spilled bottle of bootleg liquor laying on the floor. 

 

A little boy, no more than six, was watching television on the floor. He was wearing a burlap sack for clothes. His hair was blonde and stood at odd ends. What was eerie was that his eyes were a pale pink, almost as if he were albino. The only thing that gave away that the boy were a demon were his hands. He only had four fingers on each hand. Unusually long fingers.

 

“You’re home,” the boy said in surprise. 

 

“The woman’s paid for time, don’t mouth off,” the mother spat, pulling him by the back of his shirt as she thrust him towards her. 

 

The boy tripped and fell at Kagura’s feet. He looked up and Kagura could feel him entering her mind. The boy smiled when he saw what Kagura’s next plan of action was.

 

“Do it,” he muttered. 

 

Kagura didn’t need to be told to rip the heart out of the woman. The woman stared at Kagura wide eyed before she fell to the ground. Kagura leaned down and pulled the money out of the woman’s hand, smiling.

 

“How come you never did that yourself?” Kagura asked as she handed the kid the money.

 

The kid began counting the bills in his hand, shrugging.

 

Kagura smiled. This was a smart kid. “Want to work for me for a while? I need someone who can get information.”

 

The boy smiled. “Sure. My name’s Cody by the way.”

 

“Kagura.”

 

The boy walked out, following closely behind Kagura. When they arrived at her car, Kagura opened the door and the boy let himself in. The car drove off into the night with no living witnesses.

 

-*-*-*-

 

Kagome was at work tirelessly making drinks. It had been four days since Inuyasha had dropped all of the information on her. She looked into the corner of the coffee shop and saw a young man. He had long brown hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in days. He was tall and lanky with full moon glasses and a greasy beard. He was reading a book, ordering a coffee every hour on the hour. She constantly caught him watching her, and when he talked to her, his British accent sounded horribly forced. 

 

When the shop was about to close, Kagome began throwing away the pastries and wiping everything down. The man continued to read, even as Kagome made the final call. She was the only one closing that night. Her coworker usually closed with her, but she was feeling ill and went home early, leaving Kagome by herself. She knew the dangers, but she figured that Inuyasha or someone was watching the café closely. 

 

What made her nervous was the guy in the café. His clothes were filthy and he was just so incredibly awkward. She was a little nervous around him. She had tried to indirectly ask him if he was one of the people tailing her for protection and he seemed completely oblivious. As she wiped down tables, she kept trying to hint that he needed to leave. Finally, after several subtle hints that the shop was closed, Kagome went to the table.

 

“Sir, I’m afraid it’s past closing time. You’re going to have to leave,” she said. The man looked up at her with a strange look.

 

He looked around and looked over at the street, seeing that the road was busy, as it always was. He stood up and instead of leaving, walked down the hall to the bathroom.

 

“Sir, you can’t go in there!” she half cried, following him down the hall. 

 

She walked into the bathroom to be faced by the man. His eyes flashed amber at her and he gave her a sly grin. 

 

It took her a moment and she let out a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said angrily. “I dropped so many hints asking you if it was you, and you just completely ignored me.”

 

“Sorry, but I can’t let on that you’re being tailed,” he said, popping a sugar cube in his mouth. A moment later his hair turned silver and his eyes turned fully amber once more, his dog ears popping up on top of his head. He looked down at the greasy clothes. “Ugh, Jinenji gets the weirdest disguises. I need something more subtle next time.”

 

“Well can you at least give me a little heads up to know that someone is watching me? I’ve been so paranoid since the rave.” 

 

“As you should be. We can’t risk you letting your guard down. You’re always going to be protected by someone, but we just don’t want you to know who. And we’ll easily change it up to distract you too.”

 

She was becoming even more frustrated. She threw her hands up and left the bathroom, walking through the shop to make sure it was empty, then locking the doors and closing the blinds. When all the blinds were closed, Inuyasha stepped out into the main part of the café.

 

“Do you need help? I saw your coworker leave early,” he said as he started putting chairs up.

 

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” she sighed. They finished closing pretty quickly, so when Kagome was counting the safe, Inuyasha was just sitting relaxed in the office, watching her. 

 

“You know, you can look at something besides me,” she said exasperated. “It’s really not a nice feeling to know someone is watching you nonstop.”

 

He let out a chuckle. “It’s hard to not watch you, especially after seeing that sexy little dress you wore to the fight. I know what goods you have, and I’m trying to imagine what you look like with nothing at all.”

 

His brazenness caught her completely off guard. He had never been that forward with her before, and it caused her to drop her pen.

 

“Oh my god, Inuyasha,” she said after a moment, her hand shaking. 

 

“What? Am I wrong to think that? I see how you look at me. You’re dying to get my clothes off,” he said to her, grinning broadly. 

 

She gave him a dark look. “I do not think that,” she muttered, putting the bills into the safe and locking up the books. 

 

She organized the desk and hung up her apron. Inuyasha stood up as well, watching her closely. 

 

She had seen him every day since he dropped the bomb about being a detective. She had to admit, she liked him coming around more often. They would bicker back and forth, trying to ignore the fact that she was possibly in danger. She had two more days to give her response. She knew that if she were to help them, there’s a good chance that she could be killed in the process.

 

At the same time though, she was far less of a loss than if it were someone else. She didn’t have a family anymore. She came from a poor part of Chinatown on the other side of the country. The only friend she really had she found out was a cop who had roomed with her because she was an ideal target. 

 

As much as she hated to admit it, she wouldn’t really be missed. She knew that she could help stop a serious problem and save people who would be missed, but selfishness was getting the best of her. Scratch that, she didn’t want to think of it as selfishness, she thought of it more as self-preservation.

 

She pulled her hair out of the pony tail and let it fall. She felt the bald spots growing back in, but she found a way to have the bun cover the spots. With her hair down they were more visible, however she was getting a headache from how tight her hair was being held. 

 

“Do you know if Jinenji has a hair growing potion so I can get these bald spots growing back in? I’m hating this,” Kagome asked. Inuyasha felt his pockets and pulled out a small brown paper pouch.

 

“Make this into tea. It will make your hair grow a full twelve inches. Including the bald patches. However,” he said, holding it above her head as she tried to snatch it. “There’s a chance it’ll make your leg hair grow that long too.”

 

He lowered it so she could grab it and she put it in her purse. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Might deter those pesky demons for a little bit. They’re not looking for a werewolf.”

 

He laughed at that, but before she stepped out of the office, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, surprising her with a kiss. It was incredibly tender, causing her knees to melt. She leaned into it, holding onto his arms as she leaned into him. 

 

When the kiss broke, they stared at each other for a moment. He didn’t move at all when he spoke. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

 

She thought about it for a minute. She didn’t have classes on Thursdays and she didn’t work the next day. She wasn’t really able to go anywhere alone right now.

 

“Can I stay at your place tonight?” she said causally. He looked at her with raised eyebrows, a smug look on his face.

 

“I didn’t know the kiss was that good for you.”

 

Her face turned bright red. “No! No! No! No! No! That is not what I meant! I don’t have work or classes tomorrow and I’m tired of being cooped up in my dorm. Your apartment is so much nicer than my dorm. I’ll happily sleep on the couch.”

 

“You can come over but only if you share the bed. I don’t want Sango to get mad.”

 

He pulled out a blue baseball cap and covered up his ears. “You ready to go?”

 

She shook her head. “I like seeing your ears.”

 

“I know, but it blends better.”

 

They walked the streets together, making their way the eight blocks to his apartment. She didn’t realize just how close he lived to her work. They hit the button for the pent house and waited in the elevator quietly. 

 

The doors opened and once they were inside, Kagome put her purse down and kicked her shoes off. Inuyasha took the hat off and hung it up by the door. Kagome was in the kitchen heating the tea kettle when Inuyasha walked in with no shirt.

 

“Ugh, I hate those damn clothes too. They smell awful,” he said as he opened the fridge, seeing nothing but condiments.

 

Kagome tried to ignore the view of his muscular backside, the rippling muscles or long silver mane. She was biting her lip, trying not to touch him. 

 

“You know, maybe you should try grocery shopping, you might have food in the house then,” she commented. She was feeling rather warm in her shirt, but the only thing she had on underneath was a black lacy bra. She didn’t want to tempt him, but at the same time, the kitchen was so damn warm.

 

“Can you turn on the air conditioning? It’s really hot in here,” she commented. She was fanning her face while she was waiting for the water to boil.

 

“It is on, but it doesn’t work that well,” he lied. He loved to tease her.

 

She caught the playfulness in his voice. “Ah well, hope you don’t mind if I strip down a little bit.”

 

“Oh not at all. Mi casa, su casa,” He replied, leaving the kitchen. Kagome turned off the stove and poured the water for her tea. As the tea was brewing she took it to the living room and put it down on the coffee table. She took her shirt and pants off, leaving her in nothing but a black lace bra and black lace boy shorts. She peeled her socks off and picked up her tea. The tea turned dark quickly. There weren’t instructions so she figured that it was to be drank like regular tea. 

 

She took a sip and felt her scalp tingle. She didn’t feel any other part of her tingle so she figured that she wouldn’t have the lovely side effect of foot long leg hair, so she began to drink the tea. The more she drank, the more she felt her scalp tingle. She did start to feel her legs and armpit tingle, and towards the end of the cup she felt her top lip tingle just a little bit. She felt her head and the bald patches were gone, her hair almost to her knees now. She felt her legs tingle a little bit, and while the leg hair wasn’t dangerously long, it looked like she hadn’t shaved in a while. She sighed, it was better than nothing.

 

Inuyasha came around the corner and smiled. “Look at that, you look almost normal again.”

 

“Can you cut my hair shorter? This is just way too long.”

 

“Sure, just give me a minute.” 

 

She went into the living room and put her pants back on, sitting on the couch waiting for him to get back. He called for her to go into the kitchen and he had a chair set up and a pair of scissors in his hands. She closed her eyes as he cut her hair. He cut off enough so it was a few inches longer than it was before the hair growth experiment.

 

“Much better,” she said, finger combing her hair. However, she didn’t have any bangs. She thought about doing that right away, but figured she’d wait until she could see a hair dresser. 

 

“I agree, I wasn’t a fan of the bald spots,” he replied, which earned him a dark look. 

 

“I don’t care for you as a hippy.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

 

“I don’t care for you clothed,” He said, looking down at her bra and smiling. 

 

“I don’t like you clothed either,” she said with a nervous laugh. He smiled at her and began to unzip his jeans, revealing that he wasn’t wearing underwear. 

 

He saw her cheeks turn red and stopped as he laughed. “Don’t challenge if you can’t handle it.”

 

She wanted to keep teasing him, but the butterflies in her stomach were becoming too much. She was starting to feel itchy, probably from cutting her hair.

 

“I’m uh, going to take a shower,” she said, going into the bathroom, leaving him behind laughing. As she stood in the shower, she began to think.

 

There was a very good chance that she might not survive the next few months, no matter how much protection she was given. Inuyasha swore that no harm would come to her, and while she wanted to believe him, she knew that his promises were unrealistic. If she didn’t help with the case, more people could die, and she would probably still be kidnapped or worse. 

 

If she presented herself on a silver platter, she could manipulate the situation as needed for survival, but her mortality would still be at risk. 

 

There’s still so much I want to do with my life, she thought to herself. She wanted to fall in love, she wanted to graduate college, to travel the world. I want to know what good sex is, she sheepishly admitted to herself. She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, looking at her undergarments and sighing. She didn’t have any fresh clothes to change into.

 

She wrapped the towel around herself and stepped into Inuyasha’s living room where he was enjoying a glass of wine on the couch. She quickly ran to his bedroom and went through his drawers, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She figured he wouldn’t mind, at least this one time.

 

She stepped into the living room to see him staring at her, a look of surprise on his face. “Who said you could wear my clothes?”

 

She plopped down next to him, taking a long swig from the bottle of wine. “I did.”

 

“Do you want a glass?” he asked her. She was feeling a little brazen. She took his glass and drained it, putting it on the table. She didn’t have a lot on her bucket list, but one of the things on it she could do this very night. At least, she could attempt. She was nervous, but the wine was helping. He watched her closely, trying to figure her out. She could tell she had thrown him for a loop, giving her just a little more courage as the warmth spread through her body.

 

“I’m good,” she said, her hand moving to trace the muscles on his chest. She avoided his eyes, knowing that if she thought too much about it, she’d lose her courage. She had wanted to be intimate with him since she first met him, but something always got in the way. Something always happened. She was determined that nothing stand in her way tonight. She decided that before she agree to risk her life, before her inevitable demise, that she was going to enjoy at least one night with Inuyasha. She was going to live a little. She wanted no regrets.

 

Her hand moved down his abs, feeling his muscles clench under her fingers. He stayed still as a statue. He wanted to see what she was going to do next. She looked very concentrated on her task, chewing on her bottom lip. He always loved when she chewed on her bottom lip. He wanted to reach out and kiss her, taking over, but he was curious as to how far her bravado went. 

 

She took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to do next. Her fingers grazed the waistband of his jeans, lightly touching the treasure trial that promised so much more. She felt a light blush touch her cheeks as her hand moved across his stomach and down to his thigh. She finally looked up to meet his gaze. At that instant he kissed her, his arms pulling her halfway onto his lap, arms firmly wrapped around her waist in a crushing embrace. 

 

She was pulled completely onto his lap, her hands free to wander his body as he deepened the kiss. Her hands moved to touch his ears, rubbing them gently as he let out a low moan. She could feel his excitement grow under her, causing her to flush her body more closely to his. She felt his hands move under her shirt, touching bare skin as he broke the kiss to nip at her neck. He lightly bit the base of her neck, letting a sigh escape her lips. She moved quickly to move her leg around him, straddling him, her back arching so she was completely flush to him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, willing him to do more, unsure of how to proceed. 

 

His hands moved to cup her breasts, kneading the flesh beneath his hands, playing with her hardened nipples. Her body felt like it was on fire. She started to grind her hips on his, causing him to moan.

 

“Oh Kagome,” he whispered, kissing her neck as his hands moved down to her hips, squeezing them gently. She pulled the shirt over her head, throwing it to the floor. His mouth was on her breast instantly, lightly nipping the pointed flesh beneath his teeth. 

 

“Inuyasha…” she moaned, clenching his broad shoulders. He broke away from her breast and kissed her again. She tasted as sweet as sin, causing him to become undone.

 

That’s when his phone rang. “Ignore it,” he muttered against her lips, sitting straighter so he had better access to her mouth. Her legs wrapped around his torso, their bodies completely flush. 

 

His phone rang again. He groaned as he broke the kiss. “Hang on,” he muttered, giving her a light peck as she got off his lap. He picked up the phone.

 

“What?” he barked. 

 

“We need you to come in,” the police chief gasped. “A body was found, one of your missing girls.”

 

He groaned loudly. He wanted to kick and scream. He covered his face, biting back every profanity that came to mind. “All right, I’ll be there soon.”

 

He hung up the phone, half tempted to throw it across the room. He turned to Kagome who was watching him closely. “I’m sorry,” he said, walking to his bedroom and finding a black tshirt. He found his badge and put it in his pocket, as well as his wallet and keys.

 

“One of the missing girls was found, I have to go in,” he explained. She had found the tshirt and put it back on, looking a little disappointed.

 

“I understand,” she said, her voice dripping with melancholy.

 

He leaned in and kissed her once more, a little more tenderly. “Don’t worry, we’ll pick up where we left off later.” 

 

She blushed at the thought, causing him to give her a wolfish grin. “Don’t leave the penthouse, you’ll be safe here,” he told her, leaving the apartment and locking the door behind him.

 

She sighed, sitting on the couch. It seems like the universe was ensuring she’d never be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and the comments! I love seeing the fact I"m getting Kudos on this story. It's been a work in progress for close to 4 years now, and I finally feel mostly satisfied with it :) 
> 
> Definitely getting more comments and likes than the posting on MM.O or FF.N :) Thank you everyone! Please leave kudos and comments if you like the story!


	8. Dragon's Blood at the Fights and Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome agrees to help the NYPD with the trafficking victims, and after tasting some dragons blood, her hormones take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS MATURE! Just warning ya!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Inuyasha was at the morgue with Sango when the forensic specialist pulled the sheet back from the body. Sango covered her mouth and Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath when they looked down.

 

The girl that they were looking at couldn’t be any older than 14. Sango stepped back and looked through her files of missing persons that they suspected were kidnapped and found the girl on the table. She was kidnapped two weeks prior. In the picture she was happy, good grades, living in the foster care system for the past ten years. She had been walking home from school when she was abducted. No witnesses at all. 

 

Looking at the girl, she had needle marks all over her forearm, her cheeks had sunken in, and she was covered in bruises. Inuyasha reached out and pushed her bangs back, looking into the lifeless blue eyes. He closed her eyes, looking for more clues on the body.

 

“Did you find anything on her when she was discovered?” Inuyasha whispered. The forensic worker pulled out a plastic bag with a note inside. 

 

“This was found in her pocket. It looks like a suicide note,” the worker said, sounding unsure. “See, it’s strange. The handwriting matches her handwriting from school reports, it even has her signature, but it’s weird because of how it’s worded. For a girl who was in advanced classes, you’d think she’d write in a way that didn’t sound like a small child.”

 

Inuyasha looked at the note, trying to hide his anger.

 

The High Priestess sees all,  
While the reverse nine of swords speaks the future  
The reversed hanged man is what one seeks  
While Death is the final outcome

 

This didn’t make any sense to either Inuyasha or Sango. They stared at the note for a long time. 

 

“There’s more,” said the morgue worker. “On the back of the note, it says, ‘Proverbs 6:12-15’.”

 

Inuyasha and Sango exchanged looks. They were thinking the same thing. What could this mean?

 

“Well, do we have a bible to look up the verses at least?” Sango asked. The morgue worker left the room for a moment and came back with an old, leather bound bible. 

 

“What does it read?” Inuyasha asked. The morgue worker found the verse and began to recite.

 

“A troublemaker and a villain,  
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,  
who winks maliciously with his eye,  
signals with his feet  
and motions with his fingers,  
who plots evil with deceit in his heart—  
he always stirs up conflict.  
Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;  
he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”

 

“Well, that’s eerie,” Sango stated. She looked at the original note again. “What does she mean by reversed nine of swords? That’s odd.”

 

Inuyasha thought hard about it, then pulled out his phone. He typed in reverse nine of swords, and several websites about tarot popped up.

 

“Do you think that she’s referring to tarot cards? That’s what’s popping up…”

 

Sango raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That could make sense. What does it say about the reverse nine of swords?”

 

Inuyasha read off of his phone. “The reverse nine of swords means imprisonment, doubt, suspicion, reasonable fear, and shame.”

 

“Well, imprisonment, that makes sense considering what this girl was experiencing. What about the High Priestess?”

 

“Secrets, mystery, the future as yet unrevealed, the owman who interests the querrent, or silence, tenacity, wisdom.”

 

“What about the reversed hanged man?”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked it up. “It reads ‘Body politic.’”

 

“And death?”

 

“The end, mortality, corruption.”

 

Sango started to pace, thinking about what was being said in the poem. “It’s strange she spoke of politic.. you don’t think this has a political motivator?”

 

Inuyasha picked up the note and stared at it long and hard. “She’s trying to tell us who it is, but it’s just not making any sense. Obviously the person who is at fault here is someone who is dangerous and is well known, but that speaks for a large number of people. We can continue to investigate, but it’s safe to say that this is far from over.”

 

The room remained nervously quiet for a long time.

 

“There haven’t been any more bodies, have there?” Sango asked. 

 

“No,” the worker said. “They think she was laying in the alley for a full day before someone called the cops. She was found under the Brooklyn Bridge.”

 

Inuyasha and Sango exchanged knowing looks. They needed to talk in private, away from prying ears. 

 

“Thank you, we’ll come in first thing in the morning and figure out a plan of attack,” Sango told the worker. The worker put the tarp over the young girls’ body.

 

Inuyasha and Sango walked outside, taking a breath of fresh air. 

 

“It doesn’t get easier seeing the kid’s bodies, does it?” Sango asked. 

 

“Kind of. I found a dark sense of humor helps.”

 

“You know they’re looking for Kagome.”

 

Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath. “Yeah, I know. She’s at my place right now.”

 

Sango nodded. “Keep her there, she’s safer with you.”

 

He nodded. “Bring her some clothes sometime in the next couple of days. We’ll discuss a plan of action then.”

 

They went their separate ways. It was nearly four in the morning by the time Inuyasha returned to his penthouse. It was quiet, the only light on was the one in his bedroom where Kagome was curled up fast asleep. She was wearing the t-shirt and panties, lightly snoring. He smiled. 

 

She was in so much danger and she had absolutely no idea. She didn’t stir at all when he walked around the room. He stripped down to a pair of shorts and climbed into the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He needed to protect her and he had no idea how he was going to go about it. If he turned her over, no more girls would die. He knew the bodies were about to start piling up. Something was going down and he had no idea how to stop it.

 

Kagome stirred in her sleep, turning to face him, her eyes half lidded. “Inuyasha… when did you get back?”

 

“A few minutes ago, try to get some sleep,” he said, kissing her forehead. She smiled and turned into him, her face buried in his chest. 

 

Now she felt wide awake. He held her, squeezing her tightly. He didn’t want anything to happen to her, especially if it were his fault. He couldn’t live with that again. 

 

She looked up at him, seeing he was deep in thought. She reached up and placed a soft kiss on his lips, surprising him. It was so incredibly tender, so innocent. He kissed her back, enjoying the sensation of her on his lips. 

 

Her arms moved up to wrap around his neck, wanting to feel him close to her. The kiss deepened, causing a soft moan to escape Kagome’s lips. 

 

When the kiss broke, she saw warm pools of amber staring back at her, half lidded with desire. However, the heat from earlier wasn’t the same as now. Before it was a roaring fire, right now it was a low burning ember, waiting to erupt.

 

“I’ll do it,” she whispered. “I want to help you with the case.”

 

She felt him stiffen at the notion. “You know you don’t have to,” he said warily. After what he had seen at the morgue, he was afraid to involve her. 

 

She shook her head. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt. Besides, I’m expendable,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again, but he pulled back.

 

“You’re not expendable.” She stared at him and he sat up, out of her reach. “You’re not agreeing to do this because you think you’re expendable, are you?”

 

She sat up, feeling defensive. “Well it’s true, isn’t it? I have no family. Sango even said she roomed with me initially because I was what you all figured was the target.”

 

“If you want to do this, you have to do it because you want to. I will be damned if you do this because you think your life is worthless!”

 

She was taken back by his words. She didn’t think her life was worthless… did she?

 

“I don’t think that,” she muttered, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt. Is that so wrong?” 

 

His gaze softened. “You’re not going to die doing this, you know. We’re going to be with you every step and you’ll be trained,” he explained. 

 

“I know. But if I’m too well trained they’ll catch on. We’ll just go over basics.”

 

He was getting frustrated with her. “I feel like you’re going to do whatever you want and not listen.”

 

“I’ll do what needs to get done!”

 

He stood up and grabbed a pillow, walking out of the room. “Good night!”

 

The door slammed behind him and she rolled over, angry at him for making a big fuss, but also angry at herself for making him so angry.

 

She stared at the wall as the sun began to rise, fuming.

 

Sango was sitting in a beat up old van with Miroku, headphones on, watching the screens in front of her. They were two blocks from the Thunder Brothers and their security cameras had been set up.

 

“I don’t like this,” Sango stated as she saw Kagome enter the club wearing tight fitting jeans and a black V-neck sweater. Her purse was on her shoulder as she looked around.

 

“I know you don’t, but she’s the one they’re looking for.”

 

“Ugh, I could bust them right now for the other humans in the bar. Humans are strictly banned from going to the Thunder Brothers,” she spat. 

 

“True, but shutting down the upstairs would be useless if we’re trying to prosecute for more dangerous crimes.”

 

Sango glared at him and chose to fume and ignore Miroku. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. They watched as Kagome fumbled in her purse for her wallet, walking up to the counter asking for a drink.

 

When Kagome put her hair behind her ear, she turned on the earpiece hidden in her hair so Sango and Miroku could hear.

 

“Girlie, you know humans aren’t supposed to be here,” the bartender told her, giving her a sly smile as he poured her a drink.

 

“Well I’m not most humans, am I?” she retorted, putting a five on the bar. The demon gave her a sideways glance and smiled, handing her a drink that was smoking. She looked at it with caution.

 

“It’s a dragon’s blood infusion. Try it, you’ll enjoy it,” the demon said, pushing it towards her.

 

“It’s okay to drink Kagome,” Sango whispered into her microphone, “It’ll give you a lot of stamina. Has an aphrodisiac like side effect though, just to warn you.”

 

Kagome smiled and took a sip of the drink. She felt her whole body come alive from it, filled with heat and excitement. 

 

“Not bad, is it?” the demon asked. 

 

“Oh it’s quite good, but I was hoping you could direct me to something a little… stronger, if you know what I mean,” she said to the demon with a wink. Was it her, was her voice becoming more sultry with the more dragon’s blood she drank.

 

The demon felt she was being awfully forward, deciding to question her. “What you do you mean by something stronger?” 

 

Sango and Miroku suspected the demon was on to them, but Kagome played it like she had done it a thousand times. 

 

“Oh I’ve just been really bored. I wanted something along the lines of ecstasy. Acid is too strong for me,” she said with a wink. She made sure that the demon got a good look at her cleavage, distracting him for a moment. 

 

“Well if you’d like to follow me,” he muttered, showing her to the back room. 

 

“Kagome, turn the camera on,” Sango begged. A moment later another screen lit up in the van, showing a dark hallway. The camera Kagome had was in a contact lens, but had to be activated from a gadget in her purse. Kagome looked around the hallway so that Sango would have footage to use later. 

 

They stopped at a wall and a code was put in, causing the wall to slide to the side, revealing a spiral staircase. Kagome followed him down the staircase where they were met with a fox that appeared to be sleeping.

 

“Shikon,” the demon stated. The fox smiled and opened the door, letting them in to the room.

 

Kagome tried her best to not pinch her nose, as well as not to gag, but it was proving difficult. The room smelled of sex and filth. The people on the couches were obviously dying. They were caked in their own filth, their clothes probably hadn’t been washed in weeks. She saw a demon biting the neck of a young girl whose panties were around her ankles. Kagome wanted to cover her mouth, but she knew she had to lay low for a few minutes.

 

Sango recognized the girl as one of the girls that went missing a few weeks before. As Kagome surveyed the room, there were no more missing persons, but she was realizing just how much danger Kagome was in.

 

“Kagome, you need to get out of there. You’re not safe,” Sango whispered into the mic. 

 

“Not yet,” Kagome whispered. 

 

They reached the bar when Kagome was met by none other than Hiten, the more handsome of the thunder brothers. His eyes grew wide when he saw Kagome standing before him. It was as if she were hand delivered to him.

 

“Well hello,” he said to her, letting his fangs show. He couldn’t have gotten luckier. He had her, in his den. Unprotected. 

 

“I’m looking for something that’s a little stronger than the dragon’s blood I drank earlier,” told him, playing with her hair and swinging her hips as she walked towards him. Her voice was husky, far huskier than it used to be.

 

She was up close and personal to him, letting her finger run up and down his chest. 

 

Sango and Miroku were watching Kagome’s footage with their jaws open. She was ballsy. Inuyasha climbed into the van a minute later.

 

“Sorry, it took me a while to find the van,” Inuyasha commented, sitting down next to Sango. “What’d I miss?”

 

“Kagome drank a glass of Dragon’s blood and now she’s hitting on Hiten,” Miroku said casually, still staring at the screen as he saw Kagome place a kiss on Hiten’s cheek.

 

Inuyasha’s face became incredibly red. “What the fuck is she doing?!”

 

Hiten pushed her away slightly. “Sorry, as cute as you are, I only date demons,” Hiten told her. Kagome stuck out her bottom lip.

 

“I never said anything about dating,” Kagome whined. Hiten gave her a sly smile. “But I am looking to try some ecstasy. I haven’t done it since high school, and I remember it being amazing.”

 

He reached into a drawer behind the bar and pulled out a green pill. “First time is on the house. Do you want another glass of the dragon’s blood?”

 

She licked her lips at him and smiled. “Of course.”

 

“Oh man, she must have never had dragon’s blood before,” Miroku commented. Inuyasha was full blown snarling at this point. 

 

“Hey Inuyasha, do you want her at your place tonight? I don’t think I’ll be able to deal with her moaning,” Sango retorted. As Kagome went to sit down, she pulled out one of Jinenji’s sugar cubes out and sucked on it while she took the pill. 

 

Kagome felt some of the effects of the pill, but thanks to Jinenji putting a couple of drops of his drug neutralizing potion, she just enjoyed the good side effects while completely keeping her composure. 

 

Hiten put down the smoking glass and sat with her. She took a drink and was surprised at how thick it was.

 

“Pure dragon’s blood,” Hiten told her. “The effects of that with the ecstasy are amazing.” 

 

“Oh my god,” Inuyasha finally stated after growling at the screen.

 

“I know what a little bit of Dragon’s blood does, but what about that amount?” Miroku asked. 

 

“Well it might mess with Jinenji’s potion. It could make her pass out, have hallucinations, or it could make her just really, really horny. I’ve heard of women having hours of uncontrollable orgasms.”

 

Miroku raised his eyebrows and looked at Sango. “We could try that. That’d be fun.”

 

Sango gave him a dark look and continued to watch. They watched as Hiten began to warm up to Kagome, sitting and making small talk with her. They could tell by how Kagome’s head was going back and forth that the dragon blood was interfering with her actions. Her voice was fairly deep and husky now, sounding like she was trying too hard to seduce, and they could hear the confusion in her voice.

 

She drained the glass of dragon blood and tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t work properly. She began to panic and Inuyasha could tell she was not in the right state of mind.

 

“Hey Hiten, how much for the vixen? I’ve never had a human on ecstasy before.”

 

Kagome looked up to see a red-haired Japanese man with green eyes and fangs. She saw an orange bushy tail behind him. Kagome wasn’t sure if she was afraid of Shippo right now, or if he was there to help.

 

Hiten’s voice showed a large amount of contempt. “She’s not going with anyone,” he barked.

 

Shippo’s eyebrows raised. “Really? My lady, is he bothering you? I could show you a grand time,” he said to her in a sultry manner, his fangs gleaming in the dark light.

 

Kagome stood up and fell into Shippo’s arms. “Take me away,” she gasped, kissing him.

 

To Kagome, kissing Shippo was horribly awkward, but it was a mix of getting her away from Hiten and half dragon’s blood telling her body what to do. 

 

As soon as the kiss broke, Shippo took her hand into his mouth and bit down, letting some of her blood into his mouth. His eyes dilated and he winked at her. 

 

Shippo threw a wad of 20s at Hiten. “I’ll take her for the rest of the night. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she comes back.”

 

Shippo led her out the door, throwing a coin to the fox at the door, who yipped in approval. He walked her out the front door and led her down the few blocks to the van. Before he stopped at the van he looked around to see if anyone was watching. 

 

“How about we go to a hotel? Or my place? I think that would be best,” Shippo said rather loudly. Inuyasha started to turn red with disgust, but Sango and Miroku understood his meaning.

 

“Kagome, go with him, we’ll follow. Suggest the Hilton in Brooklyn,” Miroku said into the microphone.

 

“We could go to the Hilton in Brooklyn?” Kagome suggested, not really understanding the entire situation anymore. She didn’t feel high, per se, but her body felt light and between her legs was tingling. Thoughts of sweaty bodies and soft moans filled her mind, making her pant. She figured that was the dragon’s blood.

 

They made it to the hotel, Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku arriving shortly after them. Kagome took the contact lens out and the earpiece. 

 

Inuyasha was glaring at Kagome and Shippo the entire time. 

 

“Hiten was very warm to you, it would seem,” Sango stated. “I think it’s safe to say Kagome is the one they’ve been looking for. You may have gotten yourself into some trouble, Shippo.”

 

Shippo shrugged. His eyes were still dilated from biting Kagome’s hand. “It’s whatever. He’s got nothing on me.”

 

“We need to see if we can raid the basement of the Fights and Lights. That girl was definitely no more than 14,” Miroku had stated. “I wasn’t even entirely sure if she was still alive.”

 

“As much as I agree with you,” Inuyasha stated, biting his lip and looking forlorn, “We can’t just yet. We don’t have enough of a case built. We need to keep listening and figure out why they’re kidnapping people.” He saw Kagome staring at him, biting her lip and toying with her hair. He gulped.

 

“We need to do something,” Kagome said, however, when she said it, it sounded extremely erotic. The dragon’s blood was making her body warm. Too warm, she wanted to rip her clothes off, as well as Inuyasha’s. She moaned and sat down, rubbing her thighs together vigorously. “We need to… help them…” The last two words were more of a sigh. 

 

“That was hot,” Miroku stated. Sango punched him in the arm and he glanced at her. “What? It was.”

 

“Shippo how are you feeling? I know you had to take a bite out of her hand,” Inuyasha asked, watching Shippo closely, trying to ignore Kagome’s heavy breathing.

 

“Not a lot of the stuff in her system and I barely got any. I’m feeling warm, but that’s about it. I can see why they were seeking her out though. Her blood doesn’t taste like normal blood. It tastes like human blood from before industrialization. They were looking for a young girls because young girls have the sweeter blood, but her blood specifically tastes like she’s only drank rain and bathed in lotus scented water. It’s sweet and fresh, and honestly of the few times I’ve had to taste human blood, this is the first time it’s lasted this long. There’s something special about her.”

 

“Hey you guys? Everyone but Inuyasha leave, I have a bone to pick with him,” Kagome piped up, licking her lips as she stared at Inuyasha. 

 

“You know what? Before I’m tempted, I think I should go too,” Shippo stated, leaving the room. Sango and Miroku stared at Kagome. 

 

“Kagome I think, under the circumstances, you come back to the dorm tonight,” Sango suggested, but Kagome shook her head vigorously. 

 

“No, I need to actually talk to Inuyasha.” When she began walking towards Inuyasha, her hips swayed in a way that made Inuyasha bite his tongue. She was walking seductively, gazing at him through half-lidded eyes filled with a blood-fueled desire.

 

He had to keep reminding himself that she was tainted with Dragon’s blood. Her body’s scent had changed to almost pure arousal, to the point where even Miroku seemed affected by it. 

 

“Alright, we’ll see you later…” Miroku said, pushing Sango out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Kagome had jumped on Inuyasha. Her legs were around his waist and her arms around his neck. She forced her mouth against his, moaning while she kissed him. 

 

He told himself he was going to resist her, but between her scent, her insistence, and his own desires, the dam was broken. He couldn’t smell the ecstasy in her system at all. Tasting her confirmed that the ecstasy never truly affected her, but the dragon’s blood caused her desires to increase tenfold. 

 

She ripped his shirt, feeling the muscles beneath her fingers as her tongue explored his mouth. He walked to the bed, throwing her down and ripping her shirt off. He lengthened one of his claws and ripped the front of her bra. Normally, she probably would have been upset, but her heart was pounding and she stared at him, wanting him, needing him. 

 

She licked her fingers and moved them over her body. After unzipping her pants, she spread her legs and inserted two fingers within her folds, moaning loudly as she pumped her fingers inside of herself, gazing at him. She couldn’t wait any longer. 

 

He pulled her pants off and shoved the thong to the side. He couldn’t get himself out of his pants quickly enough, watching her play with herself, moaning his name, begging him to fuck her. 

 

He pulled off the ripped shirt and pulled her fingers out, licking them clean. Her nectar tasted so damn good, he almost came from the taste alone. He grabbed her hips, lifting them to him as he shoved himself in. Her body responded to him, getting wetter with each thrust he made. 

 

They both lost control, thrusting against each other faster and faster, Kagome screaming his name over and over as she felt wave upon wave of pleasure take over her body. Her body was shaking uncontrollably as she clenched him tighter, causing him to reach the brink of pleasure. He pounded into her relentlessly, screaming her name, hearing their bodies clash as he thrusted harder, faster. 

 

He emptied himself inside of her, holding her hips still as he felt himself experience the pure ecstasy she had to offer. He pulled out of her slowly, collapsing next to her.

 

He began to hate himself. The first time he finally got to be with Kagome, it lasted maybe a total of five minutes, fueled by complete hormones.

 

They were both out of breath, staring at the ceiling. He wiped the sweat from his brow, trying to figure out what to do next. His mind was pretty fuzzy from the events that just took place.

 

“Damn,” she finally said, letting out a laugh. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, covering his face. 

 

“Don’t be, that was amazing,” she slurred. What she hated more was that the dragon blood must still be in her system. She wanted more. She rolled over to see him covering his face, unwilling to look at her.

 

She swung her legs over him, pulling the ripped bra and shirt off and throwing them to the floor. 

 

“What are you doing?” he half screamed. She began to grind against him, letting out a soft moan.

 

“Oh Inuyasha, I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” she whispered. Taking his hands to rest them on her breasts. She slid her hand down to play with her clit as she felt him grow against her. “I’ve only done this once before and it was terrible. I never knew it could feel so good…” She felt he was fully erect against her, so she guided him inside her once more, completely covering him.

 

He kneaded her breasts and tried not to moan out. She felt so good. Her body felt so good. He began to thrust against her, meeting her awkward pace. His hands moved to her hips, holding her up as he did most of the work, pumping into her almost violently as she screamed once more. His hands reached around to hold her bottom, feeling the soft flesh beneath his hands. He started to bounce her on him, feeling the full weight of her come down onto him. 

 

He sat up, holding on to her as she moved her hips against him, their faces inches apart. He kissed her hungrily, not wanting to stop. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she continued to ride him, but slowing down to savor the moment together.

 

As the sun began to rise, they were still tangled in each other’s embrace. The soft sighs emitting from the room could be heard on the floor, nobody wanting to interrupt the young lovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful comments! It makes me so happy. I know that my naughty writing in this chapter is not that good, but to be fair, it was supposed to be fast because for Inuyasha and Kagome, it was super fast. Future chapters it'll be fleshed out more :)
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading!


	9. The Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naraku will be in town soon, so Kagome goes undercover once more...

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi

 

Sesshoumaru sat in his office going over the numbers for Taisho’s Dog Den. As stoic as always, the pen hardly left the surface of the paper as he figured out the expenses for the future of the fight club. While business had always been booming, the local authorities have been demanding an increase in security due to the recent disappearances. In the last two weeks, forty people have gone missing from the city. What was worse, is that in the surrounding areas, that number was substantially higher. He made sure that he had all the information of the missing persons, spread it around his security, but he knew that they were spread out along different drug dens in the city.

 

Moving the figures around is something he hated doing. He liked the fights, but that was it. The fact he had a natural knack for business was likely inherited from his Warlord father who was a natural diplomat and united Western Japan in the Sengoku era. 

 

Rin stepped into the office, wearing a black pencil skirt and a blue floral button down shirt. She wore glasses and her hair in a messy bun. She was carrying a tray of tea and sandwiches, her heels clicking the floor with each step.

 

He looked up at his mate and smiled. The girl grew into a beautiful woman. He didn’t develop romantic feelings at first. In fact, he always had viewed her as his own child until one day, he saw that she was a woman. He didn’t remember her growing into a woman, to him it seemed to happen overnight. A young orphan who stole his heart and gave him humanity, now five hundred years later was serving him tea and helping him build a new life in a new country.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, you need to take a break. You’ve been at it for hours,” she stated, sitting in the chair across from him. She crossed her legs and reached over, pouring a cup for the two of them. “It’s no good just staring at the numbers. Creativity flows when you have a free mind.”

 

He reached for his tea and took a sip. Matchta, she always knew what he needed and when. He always drank matchta when he was under considerable stress. “This is true, but there’s no creativity needed. Inuyasha and Kagome have been formulating a plan to go into the drug dens.”

 

Rin nodded, biting her lip as she stirred some honey into her tea. “I have an idea but I know you won’t approve,” she admitted sheepishly. 

 

“Then don’t bother telling me,” he replied flatly. He reached for a sandwich and took a small bite. 

 

“Well I think it’s a good idea and I wanted to persuade you,” she stated while she also reached for a sandwich. 

 

Sesshoumaru put his cup and sandwich down. He fully faced her, folding his hands and giving her a dark look.

 

“If it involves endangering you, you know my answer is no.”

 

She gave him a sweet smile. The smile that always drove him mad, the smile that made him fall in love with her more and more every day.

 

“What if I told you I was to do it anyway?” she replied coyly, standing up to sit on his desk, leaning over so their faces were only a few inches apart. 

 

“You’re crumpling my papers,” he pointed out.

 

“You’ll live.”

 

“So what’s this plan of yours?” he asked her.

 

“I get a job at the drug den passing out drugs. They’re looking for someone who’s familiar with demons. That way I could keep a close eye on Kagome and get more information since I’d be there more often.”

 

“Absolutely not. You’re needed here.”

 

His worry always touched a soft spot in her, but she wasn’t going to give in so easily. 

 

“No I’m not and you know that. But in order for it to be completely effective, you’d have to take the mark off of me. I reek of demons.”

 

“That’s because you’ve been married to one for five hundred years,” he countered. “My scent would take weeks to get off you.”

 

“It would… unless I talked to Jinenji, who could mask it pretty easily.”

 

His eyes narrowed. “What if you get killed?”

 

She shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

 

“But you know I can’t bring you back again. You were lucky when I could bring you back the second time. A third time would mean you’re gone for good.”

 

“Sesshoumaru, I’m doing it. You can’t stop me. The discussion is over. I’m not asking your permission, I’m telling you in case you have something to add to it to make it more effective.”

 

He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. “The best thing to do is to continue to send Kagome in. She’s been getting incredible intel.”

 

“Yes, but they’re trying to put heroin in her veins. If they do that, she’ll be dead by the end of the month. Your brother has already lost Kikyo, don’t make him lose Kagome too,” she cooed. 

 

“And what about you? You’d be dead too if they put that stuff in you.”

 

“I’m five hundred years old. Even if I do get an addiction to it, I could easily battle the withdrawal. She won’t. She’s too young, she’s too inexperienced with it. She’s probably going to have to do it at least once, but sending me in to monitor it could save her life.”

 

“Let me think about it,” he finally stated. “I’m sure I could figure out something better. But not a word to Inuyasha or that damn partner of his. Or to Kagome. This is our secret.”

 

She got off the desk and walked around, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you. Now get your numbers figured out. All of my work is done. We’re going to be opening in a couple of hours and I need you to make me look good.”

 

He watched her sashay out of the office, biting his lip as he saw her hips swing seductively. The chit was difficult, but her idea wasn’t terrible. He thought about if he went into the den, but it would be too risky to Rin. He was discriminated against by nearly every demon in the city because he took a human as a mate. Breeding with a human was one thing, marrying one and making her his life mate was a different story. 

 

He looked back at the numbers and groaned. He was never going to get this figured out.

 

The sun was almost set when the large half-demon entered the abandoned warehouse. Inside he turned on the lights to display row after row of medicinal herbs and plants. The soil beneath his fingers was dry, making him sigh in defeat. It seemed no matter what he do, the plants were always over dried out.

 

He missed his little farm in Japan, where nobody disturbed him, where his world was quiet and calm. Jinenji sighed, remember what his world had been like, wishing that some of the old world charm had followed into this new world of technology. He turned on the hose to spray the herbs, drenching the earth, when he heard the crash on the other end of the warehouse. He dropped the hose and broke into a run, making his way to the table where he helped the sick and made his potions.

 

As he turned the corner, he was met by a mess of potions scattered everywhere. The one cabinet was knocked over, the cabinet that held all of his transfiguration potions. He looked around to see what could have possible knocked over this particular cabinet, looking to see if any of the potions were salvageable. There were no traces of anyone in the room at all, which began to worry Jinenji even more. He found it strange that there wasn’t even the scent of anyone in the room, or any animal. It appeared that the cabinet fell over on its own, which he knew should not have been possible. For six years the cabinet has not moved, the number of vials has not changed. The cabinet was very sturdy, built by his own hands. 

 

He looked around the room and didn’t see anything disconcerting at first glance, deciding to shrug it off and clean up the room. A few minutes later he heard a knock at the door and footsteps entering. He recognized the footsteps of Inuyasha and Kagome, whose scents had intermingled now. He smiled to himself. He knew the two had feelings for each other for quite some time. Their coupling has left Inuyasha in an above-average mood, something Jinenji hasn’t seen in a couple hundred years.

 

“Hey Jinenji, what happened in here?” Inuyasha asked, blocking Kagome from entering the room. There was broken glass all over the dirt floor.

 

“The cabinet fell over. I don’t smell any foul play, so I figure there was a loose screw or something to knock it over. All of my transfiguration potions are destroyed though,” he sighed, sweeping up some of the glass.

 

Inuyasha bit into the side of his cheek. This wasn’t good.

 

“You don’t think anyone is on to us, do you?”

 

Jinenji shrugged, dumping the broken glass into a waste bin. “No, I don’t think so. However, it is strange that everything was knocked over…”

 

Inuyasha held Kagome’s hand as they walked through the room. The smells of the potions completely masked any unusual scents, if there were any. Inuyasha’s gut told him that there was foul play, unfortunately, there was evidence as such.

 

“I hear Naraku will be in town sometime this week,” Inuyasha commented, looking closely at the potions. Nothing seemed different.

 

“Yes, I have heard that as well. It seems that there is a substantial amount of demon activity in the city recently. I nearly sold out of the disguise potions this week. I’ve been working overtime.”

 

Kagome picked up a potion that had a color of a deep purple. It swirled like a mist in the bottle as Kagome glanced at it. “What’s this potion?” she asked.

 

“Oh, that one is still in development. It’s supposed to give temporary demonic powers to a human, however, I haven’t had any humans to test it on yet. Difficult to test it, to be honest,” Jinenji stated. “For instance, if you remember Harry Potter, it’s kind of like a polyjuice potion. You put a hair of a demon and for a short time you gain their powers. You’d get Inuyasha’s superb sense of smell and his ability to fly--,” Jinenji began to explain, but Kagome cut him off.

 

“You can FLY?!” Kagome yelled.

 

Inuyasha looked surprised. “Most demons can.”

 

Jineji found a potion and handed it to Kagome. It was gold in color. “This one will keep you from gaining an addiction to a drug, however, it won’t get rid of the effects of any hard drugs. So if they put heroin in you, you can gain a psychological addiction, but you won’t’ gain a physical addiction. Be very careful.”

 

Kagome put the bottle in her bra. “No worries.”

 

Jinenji also handed her a red potion. “This is to get rid of Inuyasha’s smell on you. No offense, but you smell more like Inuyasha than Inuyasha does.”

 

Kagome and Inuyasha both blushed. Jinenji laughed and continued to organize his potions.

 

“It seems that only my disguise potions were meddled with. I guess Rin can’t go undercover tonight after all…”

 

Kagome dressed in a purple brocade corset that pushed her breasts up almost into her face, a short mini skirt and fishnets with knee high lace up boots. She wore thick eye shadow and even thicker eye liner. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and she wore large hoop earrings. She stared into the mirror and smoothed out the skirt.

 

She sighed, she was feeling more nervous than ever before. Usually she jumped into these excursions with no second thoughts, but after her night with Inuyasha, as well as the days with him that followed… her heart had changed a little. Inuyasha completely took over her mind and her body. He knew how to touch her, learned what she liked and disliked. He could make her moan and make her scream, causing her body to ache for him. After their coupling, they would talk until their strength was regained so they could be together once more.

 

Inuyasha watched her fix every detail of her appearance in the mirror and felt scared for her. He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair. He stared at their reflection, giving her a shy smile.

 

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said, leaning into him. She had to admit, they made a very handsome couple.

 

“Now you know how I feel every night,” he whispered against her ear, leaning down to nuzzle her neck. She felt his lips on her neck and she let out a soft sigh. 

 

“I think the battle will be over soon,” she whispered as he kissed her bare shoulder. Goosebumps ran up her arms, causing her to shiver.

 

“I think if we play our cards right, they will.”

 

He turned her around and kissed her. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted of sweet nectar, entrapping his mind and controlling his every motion. 

 

The kiss broke and he nuzzled her neck once more. “Come on, before I change my mind and we don’t leave this apartment.”

 

They walked out hand in hand, the potions hidden in Kagome’s bosom. 

 

When they arrived at the van, Sango and Miroku were setting up the monitors around the club. It seemed in the drug den there was interference, which they had already related to Shippo. Shippo was already in the club, chatting up a young blonde with a martini in hand. Inuyasha helped place the wire under her skirt, giving her a wink as his fingers teased the scrap of lace under the skirt. Inuyasha hunkered down in the van and Kagome tested the earpiece and the sound, which she was told worked. She pulled out the red potion and drank it, hoping that Inuyasha’s scent was masked. She took out the gold potion and drank that as well, feeling her body grow warm. 

 

Usually Jinenji’s potions just made her tingle, but this one made her feel hot. Her body was sweating uncontrollably. She wondered if it was a problem with mixing the potions? The night was cold so she pulled her coat off and walked to the Thunder Brother’s, wishing she would cool off.

 

She gave the password to the sleeping fox, who mewed at her and opened the door and she was met with the stench of drugs and sex. She looked around to see young women grinding against large demons, men with spoons and lighters, and Monten at the main desk as usual. Hiten found Kagome walked around lost, smiling to himself. 

 

“Kagura, send him in,” Hiten whispered softly. 

 

A moment later Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku lost all signals in the bar. Every camera went completely blank, showing nothing but static. 

 

“Kagome, get out of there now, you’ve been compromised!” Inuyasha yelled into the microphone, but Kagome heard nothing. She was unaware that her earpiece had been tampered with. Inuyasha could hear and see nothing. 

 

Inuyasha began to panic. He got no response from her earpiece or her microphone. Shippo was unresponsive as well, it seemed all electrical equipment had been tampered with.

 

A young boy came into the room. His hair was blonde and gelled to be neat. He looked to be about six years old and his eyes were a pale pink. Kagome thought that he seemed awfully young to be in a bar, but suddenly she completely lost control of her body. 

 

Walk through the door in the back, a young voice said. Kagome felt like it was her conscious, but her fear told her that it was someone else’s. She felt her legs move involuntarily in an awkward gait as she did as the voice told. She walked through the swinging doors at the back of the den to another room, far darker than the one before, where she saw a variety of men before her. 

 

One of the men she recognized immediately. He was Japanese with long wavy hair and red eyes. Dressed in a traditional Kimono of blue, he stood up and met Kagome half way across the room.

 

“Mmm, you do know what I like, Kagura,” Naraku whispered as he played with Kagome’s hair. 

 

“I thought you’d like her,” Kagura smirked. The little boy followed behind Kagome, lowering his four fingered hand. “Good job, Cody.” She handed the boy a brownie and sat down. The boy followed, a large grin on his face.

 

“Thank you, my lady,” the boy replied. 

 

Kagome was unable to move her lips to make a noise, but her mind was completely aware of what was happening. Naraku pulled out a red elastic band and tied it around Kagome’s upper arm. Before Kagome realized it, he had plunged the needle in her arm, injecting her with the drugs he so desired in her blood.

 

Kagome felt her world completely change. She felt like she was on a cloud. Her limbs felt heavy and she was led to the couch, but she felt like she was floating. She was aware of what was happening, but was unaware how it affected her. She was handed a white roll, she assumed it was a joint, and was told to take a hit. She did and it just exemplified the effects. She didn’t feel any pain, she felt like the world was just great.

 

She didn’t notice the bite on her arm, or the loss of blood as Naraku felt the euphoria induced by her blood. She sat on the couch, her eyes rolled back into her head, as she rode out the high. Naraku waived his hand at the others in the room, giving them permission to exit.

 

Kagome was left with Naraku as his hands wandered her body, wondering where to bite next. Kagura and Cody left the room and Kagura pointed at Shippo, who was still talking up the blonde.

 

Shippo felt like there was a nagging at the back of his head, but he continued to concentrate on getting information. He was trying to figure out who the girl was and if she was one of the missing girls.

 

Cody pointed at Shippo and whispered in Kagura’s ear. “He’s undercover, working for a man in the police department.”

 

Kagura nodded and handed the boy another piece of candy. She walked over to Shippo and picked him up by the back of his shirt. 

 

“Hey what the hell are you---,” he began to scream, but Kagura threw him against the brick wall, smashing it to smithereens. 

 

“How do you want to die today?” Kagura asked sweetly, poison dripping from every word. He looked shocked and pulled a leaf out of his pocket, putting it to his forehead. Just as Kagura opened her fan and threw blades at him, Shippo disappeared into thin air. Kagura looked around, trying to figure out what happened to the fox demon. She knew he was still the room, but there wasn’t time. 

 

“Cody, where did he go?” Kagura screamed, her fan at the ready.

 

Cody centered in on a fly on the other side of the room, feeling incredibly guilty. He saw what they did to the girl he lured in the room. He didn’t know that they were doing that to begin with. He would tell girls to go into the room and he would leave. He had no idea they were eating the women.

 

“He’s not here,” Cody lied, kicking at his feet. “He left. I’m sorry.”

 

Shippo heard a small voice in his head.

 

There’s nothing I can do for her. Get out of here, now.

 

Shippo flew out of the vents and turned into his normal self a block from the Thunder Brother’s. He ran to the van where he saw Inuyasha messing with the antennae.

 

“What are you doing?!” Shippo shouted, half panting.

 

“We lost the feed the moment Kagome entered,” Inuyasha explained. His face filled with worry once getting a close look at Shippo.

 

“We were ambushed. She’s being drained of her blood as we speak.”

 

Inuyasha visibly paled as Sango and Miroku left the van. The group could see Inuyasha’s face go from being pale to turning bright red, his eyes flashing red and purple stripes appearing on his face.

 

“AAAAGH!” He roared, jumping into the sky and out of sight.

 

Inuyasha felt his demon blood boil as he flew through the night sky. The woman he loved, that he didn’t know he had been searching for, was in danger. He didn’t know if she was dead or worse, but he knew for a fact that he wasn’t going to let another woman he loved die.


	10. Kagome's Lies Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome relives her past, unable to hide her secrets from Inuyasha any longer

Disclaimer:  I do not own Inuyasha, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

_Kagome had gotten home from school a little early that day.  It was the day for finals in her Senior year, so when she was usually home around 4, she made it home around noon.  She thought that it’d be great to share a lunch with her Jii-chan and mother.  Usually she was always busy with school and after school activities, but today she was free, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing in the Windy City of San Francisco._

_As she walked the streets of China Town, she heard the familiar sounds of merchants calling out to patrons, the smells of fresh baked goods mixed with the fish markets.  People on bikes rode past her with goods to sell, the sounds of several Asian languages met her ears.  It was noisy and dirty and home._

_She found her building and walked up to the fourth floor where her family lived, only to be met with a strange set of voices.  She recognized her mother’s and Jii-chan’s voices immediately._

_“We told you, you need to be making over five thousand in night or you were to be punished,” she heard Jii-chan’s usually gentle voice scream in anger._

_“Please, don’t hurt me again, I can get it tonight!” a young girl yelled.  Kagome slowly walked closer to the door and pressed her ear against it, she heard a loud crack and the girl screamed out._

_“You will get it tonight… at the club.  But only after you realize how severely you’ve fucked up,” she heard her mama say.  Kagome covered her mouth in horror as she heard the girl sob._

_“Please, I’m sorry!” the girl cried, another crack.  She heard something hit the floor, probably the girl._

_“Get up!” Jii-chan yelled.  “Get up and take your punishment!”_

_“I-I can’t!” cried the girl.  Another crack._

_“Then six more lashes and you’re working all afternoon and night to make up the losses.”_

_Kagome heard the six cracks doled out to the girl, each time a scream.  The last crack, however, there was no noise.  She felt frozen to the wall by the door.  She didn’t know what to do._

_“You were too hard on her, she passed out,” Jii-chan said in a bored voice.  “Move her into the pantry and lock the door.  We’ll sneak her out tonight when Kagome and Souta are asleep.”_

_Kagome covered her mouth, trying not to cry out.  Her own family was part of this.  Her own family caused this.  She felt her heart sink into her stomach.  She didn’t know what to do._

_She ran out of the building and into the streets of San Francisco, hoping to find some answers._

Naraku had bitten Kagome in several visible—and not so visible-- spots all over her body.  Currently his head was between her legs, letting blood flow freely from her thigh into his mouth.  He was lapping up her blood, sucking on her flesh, feeling himself get higher and higher from her overdosed body.

 

 

Kagome had passed out about ten minutes prior, her skin slowly getting paler from the loss of blood.  Her body didn’t move, her hair was cascaded across the couch she lay on.  He felt her pulse begin to slow, as if she were dying, and pulled himself back.

 

 

He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, staring at the young girl before him.  He hadn’t tasted a girl this good in years, centuries in fact.  He was trying to savor her, but it was proving impossible.  She just tasted so damn good.

 

 

He heard the commotion outside the room and smiled.  There was nothing he loved more than seeing a little bloodshed.  The unveiling of the demons had been a blessing to him.  The fighting, the bloodshed, the drug dens, he loved all of it. 

 

 

He laid next to the passed out girl beside him, riding the high.  He had no idea how much time had passed but a young demon girl entered the room.  Her hair was long and silver, she had purple stripes on the side of her face, and her eyes were amber.

 

 

“My lord, perhaps I should take care of the girl to ensure she doesn’t die tonight,” the demoness said sourly, crinkling her nose at the girl.

 

 

Naraku waived his hand at the demon, unable to comprehend anything but the air around him.  The silver haired woman picked up Kagome with ease and carried her out of the room, into another hidden room.  She walked up a small staircase and exited out a back door into an alley.  Once she was a few blocks away, she pulled out her cell phone.

 

 

“I’ve got her,” she mumbled.  She turned the phone off and a few minutes later a black Mercedes pulled up beside the women.  The demoness picked up Kagome and the back seat door opened.  The demoness put Kagome’s lifeless body into the back seat, getting in behind her.

 

 

They weaved through the streets of New York until they reached Jinenji’s warehouse in Brooklyn.

 

 

Kagome hadn’t moved and the demoness noticed that her breathing was shallower than before. 

 

 

Kagome was carried into the warehouse where Jinenji was waiting by a cot on the floor.  Kagome’s body was placed on the cot and a syringe with purple whishing liquid was inside.  He injected the liquid into her arm, and nearly immediately color began to return to her face.

 

 

“Don’t tell anyone I helped her,” the silver haired demoness stated.  “I need to be completely unknown.”

 

 

Jinenji nodded as she turned and jumped out the window above her head.  Jinenji looked back down at Kagome, and saw that she was dreaming heavily, but about what, he would never know.

 

 

_Graduation day, Kagome was the Valedictorian, making the speech for the class about how they were all going to be stronger and better than the generation before them, paving the way for the future.  Kagome spent a lot of time trying to avoid her home after hearing the girl being beaten, but nothing at home had changed._

_She had decided to take a gap year and while her mother acted worried, her grandfather seemed thrilled that she would be staying at home for an extra year.  He told her that after her graduation, he wanted to talk to her about something important, making her wonder if she knew exactly what was happening at home._

_She received her diploma and walked off the stage, proud of herself.  The last four years were difficult, and she did it.  She passed.  Now she had to figure out where to go._

_Hojo met her after the graduation, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.  She remembered that she felt her insides melt as he held her.  In her life filled with confusion and regret, he seemed to be her recluse away from it all.  He was her support, her rock.  He told her he loved her, and in her heart, she knew she had loved him._

_They swore they’d save themselves for when high school was over, and as of this moment, they were no longer in high school.  They were two adults.  As he held her, he whispered softly, “Tonight.”_

_She smiled to herself.  “Yes, tonight.”_

_She took pictures with her friends, with Hojo, with her family.  They all posed and smiled together, and what Kagome didn’t know at the time, was that within the next week, everything was going to completely change._

_Hojo had gotten them a hotel room that night, and when Kagome told her family that she and Hojo were going to be hanging out that night, her family told her to have fun and be safe.  Her mother handed her a box of condoms with a wink, telling her it was okay.  She blushed, thinking how strangely her mother was acting._

_She met him at the hotel, and like young lovers, their clothes flew off as they raced to the bed.  It didn’t last long, but Hojo was an adequate lover, Kagome thought.  She imagined her life with him, knowing that with a little work between them it could be so much better.  She remembered him tracing her body with his hands, getting his fingers tangled in her hair.  The soft sighs, the gentle touch, the quick, piercing pain, and the ending._

_As they laid in the bed catching their breath, Hojo suddenly got up from the bed and began to get dressed.  He turned to look at her and smiled, but it wasn’t the smile he usually gave her.  It was a mix of sadness and deceit._

_She rolled to her side to watch him, wondering what he was up to._

_  
“Hojo, why don’t you come back to bed?” Kagome cooed, trying to sound sultry._

_He turned and threw a wad of cash on the bed.  “Your mother told me the price.  You should go home.  I can’t afford anything else.”_

_Kagome stared at the cash and didn’t understand.  “What do you mean price?”_

_He lifted his eyebrows in surprise.  “Well I pay you, don’t I?   The whole ‘Girlfriend Experience’ is what you do, isn’t it?  You were pretending to be so innocent, I thought it was cute.  I could probably get it to work on a real girl now.  Thanks for the coaching.”_

_“What do you mean, ‘real girl?’”_

_“Well, I wouldn’t date a prostitute, would I?”  With that, he grabbed his keys and waived at her.  “See you around.”_

_The initial shock began to take hold.  After a moment to think about what he said, Kagome felt her heart break into hundreds of pieces.  She had been duped.  She had been lied to.  She stared at the cash on the bed.  It was easily a thousand dollars in the wad.  A mix of twenties and hundreds._

_Tears streamed down her face.  She began to scratch at her arms, feeling dirty and disgusting.  She ran into the bathroom and started the shower, scrubbing herself until she was bleeding.  No matter how much she washed herself, she still felt dirty._

_She was sobbing, finally collapsing in the shower, holding her knees as the water cascaded over her body.  She only thought of how she had been deceived.  Her suspicions about her family were now confirmed.  They were running a prostitution ring in China Town, and she was just pulled into it.  She was pulled into it in the worst possible way.  Her own mother had sold her to someone she deeply cared for, and she had no idea until it was all over._

Inuyasha was clawing at the sealed doors of the Thunder Brother’s.  His eyes were red with blood and purple stripes adorned his face.  His fangs were elongated as he screamed inhumanly, making most of the demons nearby cower in fear.  He was in a blood filled rage, unable to control his actions.  Nothing could get through to him, no voice could reach him. 

 

 

He broke through the door with his claws out, the growls escaping his mouth were those of tortured anguish.  Everyone in the room dispersed, except the young white haired child.

 

 

The child lifted his hand to Inuyasha, taking control of his mind, making Inuyasha’s body paralyze.

 

 

_She’s somewhere safe.  Leave now._   The voice inside Inuyasha’s head caused his demon blood to calm, he didn’t know where it came from, but his eyes began to fade back to amber, his fangs retracted.  He heard the voice again.  _Don’t let her come back if you can help it.  It’s only going to get more dangerous for her._

Inuyasha felt his blood completely return to normal at this point.  He saw that a few girls were on the floor unconscious, but Hiten and Monten were gone.  The child was gone too.  Inuyasha pulled his phone out and called the police department.

 

 

“Send some ambulances to the Fights and Lights, along with your best police officers.”

 

 

Inuyasha walked out of the den, back outside, where he was met by Sango and Miroku looking worried. 

 

 

“She’s not in there,” Inuyasha stated.  “I don’t know where she is, but supposedly she’s safe.”

 

 

“She’s with Jinenji.  A demon brought her there.  Come on, she’s in pretty bad shape,” Sango told him, running back into the van, the car’s tires smoking as she rushed to get to Jinenji’s.

 

 

_“What is the meaning of this?!” Kagome screamed as she threw the roll of money at her mother.  Her Jii-chan remained quiet, a smirk touching his lips._

_“We knew that you heard us that day,” Jii-chan told her smugly.  “We knew that you were trying to get evidence against us, and of course we knew you liked that Hojo.  He knew about us before you did, and we figured that he’d pay top dollar to have a girlfriend like you.  We figured that you’d appreciate the romancing first before going into the business…”_

_Kagome felt tears sting her eyes.  “Why are you selling me?  I’m your granddaughter!  I’m your daughter!  I’m your family!” Kagome screamed, pounding her fists on the table._

_“We’re giving you a choice.  You can either do work like you did today, or you can help us run the operation,” her mother cooed.  Kagome felt like her mother was talking to her in a tone about dinner choices, not about selling people._

_“I don’t want to work in the business at all!” Kagome screamed, fully sobbing now.  “People shouldn’t be sold like cattle!”_

_“Kagome… it’s the world’s oldest trade.  It’s always been around and it always will be, we might as well continue it.  Besides, don’t you remember when those uncles would visit and you’d sit on their laps?  We’ve been doing this for as long as you’ve been alive.”_

_Kagome’s jaw dropped.  She had been sold her entire life, and she never even realized it._

_“Where do you think all of those friends from Japan went?  Ayame, Eri and Yuka?  You think that we were actually finding them homes in America?  They work on the other side of town.  It was Eri you heard crying that day.”_

_Kagome felt her stomach turn into knots.  She had walked around Northern San Francisco a couple years back and could have sworn she recognized one of the girls on the street corner, but didn’t think anything of it.  She felt like she was going to be sick._

_“I will never be a part of this!” Kagome screamed, running into her room.  She began to pack a bag when she heard the door behind her lock.  She turned in horror, running to open the door but the door was locked from the outside.  She began pounding on the door, screaming and sobbing._

_“You have three days to decide Kagome,” her mother shouted._

_Kagome ran over to her window to find that it had new bars placed on it.  She never noticed them before.  She was trapped, unable to leave.  She fell to the floor, unsure of what to do next.  The darkness consumed her.  She didn’t know how she was going to escape, she didn’t realize what kind of hell she was in.  All she knew is that she didn’t want to live like this…_

Inuyasha broke the door down to Jinenji’s and ran to find Jinenji mixing herbs. 

 

 

“Where is she?” Inuyasha yelled. 

 

 

“She’s resting.  She needs time to rest,” Jinenji told him gently, but Inuyasha didn’t care.  He ran into Jinenji’s sleeping quarters and found Kagome thrashing in the bed, yelling in Japanese. 

 

 

_“I was born in Japan.  Do you speak the language as well?”_

_“A little, but it was never really my strong suit.”_

Inuyasha was remembering that conversation and feeling himself get angrier.  She had lied to him.  She was yelling in perfect Japanese while she was thrashing.   Their first time hanging out and she specifically told him that she didn’t speak the language, yet here she was, yelling in Japanese in her sleep.

 

 

“What is she saying?” Sango asked, as she walked into the room, staring at Kagome’s thrashing form.

 

 

“She’s begging to be let out.  She must think she’s in a cage or something,” Inuyasha muttered, biting back his temper. 

 

 

“I thought she didn’t speak Japanese,” Sango muttered, looking at Inuyasha.  She saw his face turn red.

 

 

“I thought she didn’t speak it either.”

 

 

Jinenji came into the room and saw her thrashing as Inuyasha watched, his body shaking.

 

 

He moved past Inuyasha and put another shot of medicine in her body, causing her thrashing to stop immediately.  Soon she was breathing heavily and deeply.

 

 

“I put her in a deep induced sleep.  She should wake up sometime tomorrow.  She needs rest,” Jinenji told them.  “Do you want her to go back with you, Inuyasha?  I’m sure she’ll want a familiar face when she wakes up.”

 

 

He glared at her form, not sure how to feel.  She lied about speaking Japanese, what else has she lied about?  Is she really who she says she is?  Is she really from San Francisco?  Her voice didn’t have a trace of an accent.  She sounded like she was born and raised in Tokyo. 

 

 

“You know Inuyasha, there might be a reason why she didn’t tell you she spoke Japanese,” Sango reasoned.  “Has she told you about her past at all?  She hasn’t really told me anything.”

 

 

Inuyasha thought about it.  “No,” he realized.  “She spoke very little about her past.  Mostly that she lived with her family and had a boyfriend.  She was a top student… but that was it.  She said her parents died last year.”

 

 

“Take her home and when she wakes up, have a long heart to heart… after you find out what happened.  We need a police report,”  Sango reasoned.

 

 

Inuyasha picked up Kagome and stepped out of the warehouse.  He could take a cab, but it would be far quicker to fly.  He thought about it and decided to fly. He held her close as they jumped through the air of New York, the city lights illuminating the skyline as the sun began to slowly rise on the ocean. 

 

 

Kagome woke up for a second to see the sunrise, but passed out soon after, being dragged back into the nightmare that was her past…

 

 

_Several months had passed since the incident with Hojo, and Kagome was feeling numb.  She refused to be touched by another man, so she agreed to help run her family’s business.  She worked on the books, figuring out how much each girl was making, the expenses… She felt like a traitor._

_Her mother had her shackled to the table to ensure that she didn’t try to run away, leaving her ankle raw and bruised.  She had lost weight from her restlessness.  She went from being a prized child to a slave in her own home.  Her brother Souta chose to ignore the situation his sister was in, realizing that if he spoke out against it, he would be in the same situation as her.  She couldn’t blame him, honestly, but she wished that he would help her somehow._

_After six months being chained to her own home, she was able to trick her family into thinking she was trustworthy.  She had the shackles removed and was now sent to the street corners to collect the money needed to run the business.  She overdressed, not wanting to tempt anyone into thinking she was one of them.  When she went outside for the first time, she felt tears, knowing she would have to go back to the dinky little apartment that she once believed was her safe haven._

_After her first month of collecting the money, she opened a PO Box and sent an application to NYU.  Three thousand miles should be far enough for her to escape.  She would slowly sneak out small items in her oversized coat and store them in a storage locker she paid for in a fake name.  She was preparing her escape, taking money here and there so it would be enough to move her things and herself in one swift move._

_She got an acceptance letter with a full scholarship, giving her some relief.  She knew that she just had to make it to August.  She was only in this hell until August.  She continued to sneak money away and move her things into the storage locker._

_She continued to work the books, to take the money as needed.  At the end of July she was able to sneak away for an entire day and ship everything to her future dorm, closing the storage locker.  All that was left was to get enough money to buy a plane ticket.  She knew it would be expensive, but she figured in one day she could just take all the money earned, go to the airport, and hop on a plane._

_She felt bad for the girls, but there was nothing she could do.  She had to save herself before she could save anyone else.    She felt herself gain hope again, she began to smile again.  Her family began to grow suspicious, but she continued her work with them without complaint.  She decided that in order to escape, she had to blend in._

_One week before she would make her grand escape, her mother and Jii-chan confronted her._

_“We want to know why there has been money missing,” her mother asked her point blank.  Kagome felt herself grow nervous.  Did her mother know?_

_“What money missing?” Kagome asked.  She felt it safer to play dumb._

_“You know what money missing,” Jii-chan stated.  He snapped his fingers and two men walked in with Ayame, one of the nicer girls working on the streets.  Her hair was shoulder length and brown, she had a round face and was usually smiles, even though she was in such a dire situation.  Today though, her eye was black and swollen, she had blood at the corner of her mouth, her flashy clothing was torn._

_Kagome stared round eyed at Ayame, not knowing what to say or do.  Her mother put a hand on Kagome’s shaking shoulder._

_“Tell us where the money is, or she’s going to be in a lot more pain,” her mother whispered._

_Crack.  A riding crop was struck hard against her back, causing Ayame to scream out in pain._

_“Stop it!” Kagome screamed.  “Stop it!  Stop it!  Don’t hurt her!”_

“Hurt who?”

 

 

Kagome felt herself wrapped in satin sheets, the sun shining into the open room of Inuyasha’s.  She saw Inuyasha sitting beside her on the bed, dark circles under his eyes.  His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his chest.  His jeans were dirty.  He must have been up all night.

 

 

Tears streamed down her face.  “Nothing,” she muttered, laying back down.

 

 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said to her sweetly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

 

 

“No, it’s nothing,” she muttered.

 

 

“Does it have anything to do with your fluency in Japanese?” he asked, his voice cold.

 

 

Kagome’s eyes grew wide. She just realized that they had been conversing in Japanese the entire time.

 

 

“I can explain,” she said, sitting up, grabbing his hand.  She figured there was no use hiding anything from him anymore. 

 

 

“Explain why you lied to me when I told you everything about me?  About the hell I’ve been through, about how the only other woman I’ve ever loved was killed in front of me?  You know you could trust me, I don’t get why you didn’t!”

 

 

“I still don’t’ know if I can trust you!” she screamed, tears rolling down her face.  “I can’t trust anyone!”

 

 

His face faltered, causing more guilt to rise in her chest.  He was incredibly hurt, it showed on his face.

 

 

“If you would just tell me, I might be able to help!” he screamed. 

 

 

“You want to know?  Fine!  My parents ran a prostitution ring and sold me when I graduated high school!”

 

 

He shut his mouth immediately.  She jumped out of bed and began to pace.  “I thought I loved my ex boyfriend.  We talked about traveling the world, I was in love with him.  I thought he loved me, and the first time we had sex, he threw a wad of cash at me and told me my mom arranged the price.  My grandfather shackled me to the house and told me I had to either help him or continue to sell myself!  We would go to Japan and get orphans to sell in the States!

                                                              

 

“Why would I ever want to relive any of that?  A girl was beaten to death in front of me so I could escape!  I watched her be beaten to death so I could run away!  I was a coward and I was afraid to fight my family because I’m so fucked up that I still love them!  They sold me!  They sold me as a child and they sold me as a teenager!  And now I’m dating a half demon who sent me into a drug den and let me get drugged and God knows what else!

 

 

“I am worth nothing and nothing I do will ever make any of this right again!  I jumped into this thinking I could redeem myself!  Thinking if I could save one person, that girl dying wouldn’t be so bad!  No matter what I see her face whenever I sleep!  I’m always afraid that falling in love with you will be dangerous and this last day has proven that you’re just as dangerous as my family, if not more!  I ran away to New York so I could start over!  I chose demon studies because humans had proven to be horrible creatures!  I just want to live a normal life away from everyone, but no matter what I do I get dragged into the darkest parts of humanity and tortured.  This was a mistake, Inuyasha.  I can’t do this anymore!”

 

 

She fell to her knees and began sobbing.  He kneeled beside her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her hair.

 

 

“Kagome… if I would have known, I would have never let you go in there,” he muttered.  She shook her head violently.

 

 

“If you cared about me at all, you would have never risked it,” she sobbed. 

 

 

He lifted her up and placed her back on the bed, where she clung to him and cried into his chest.  She was broken, wanting only to be whole again. 

 

 

“I promise it will never happen again.  I’ll never let you be put into any kind of danger like that ever again,” he whispered.

 

 

She continued to cry into his chest, not knowing what to do.  She was realizing more and more that she was in love with Inuyasha, and she felt that the feeling might be mutual, but everything that just happened just showed her how naïve she can be, and she wondered if she would ever escape the hell that she kept encountering… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, believe it or not, I have a master's degree in homeland security, which deals heavily with human trafficking. What a lot of people don't realize is that trafficking starts in the family, usually as small children, and works up slowly. After the first "break" in trust, such as in this chapter when Kagome was sold for the first time, it breaks the girls spirit and that's how trafficking works. While this story is hyperbolized, there's a good chance that something similar to this is happening this very moment. I write about this to bring awareness--- while this is a fictional story in total entirety, helping those who are trapped in the trafficking world is essential to stopping modern day slavery. 
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the story thus far, and please, leave a comment about what you feel I could improve on. I know my writing isn't *great*, but I appreciate all of the feedback I can get.


	11. The Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha tells Kagome how he really feels, the ring comes undone.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and I am, in no way, making any profit from this work of fanfiction.

 

Author’s Note:  This story is nearing completion.  Probably two to three more chapters.  Please comment and let me know how I’m doing!  Happy reading!

 

 

 

 

Sango and Miroku were at the Thunder Brother’s Fights and Lights while the forensic analysts swept the secret drug den in the basement.  Four of the twenty missing girls were brought to the hospital, the rest were still unfound.  All four girls had bites all over their bodies, as well as severe bruising and cuts.  They were jittery, suffering from incredible withdrawal even while in the ambulance. 

 

 

Unfortunately, they were unable to find Naraku or where they had him when he was with Kagome.  Sango had heard no word back from Inuyasha, and she figured that she wouldn’t hear back from him anytime soon. 

 

 

Hiten and Monten were nowhere to be found, which did not bode well.  They had the victims, but the criminals in question were still on the loose.  The mass amounts of heroin and meth in the den with all the books of who visited and when showed the police department that this ring of drugs and trafficking was much larger than they first realized.  Hundreds of demons were involved, hundreds of humans were involved.  The police thought they were dealing with a small flame, they didn’t realize they were dealing with an engorging fire that was destroying everything in its path.

 

 

“Inuyasha mentioned there was a young boy who was able to talk to him telepathically,” Sango mentioned to one of the police officers.  “He had gray hair and couldn’t be older than eight.  He was with another demon who was a woman with red eyes and black hair.  That’s really the only information I have from Inuyasha at the moment.  Once he writes a report on what happened to Kagome, we’ll be in better shape as to where to go next for this investigation.”

 

 

The police jotted down the information and continued to examine the different parts of the room, telling the forensics team where to take pictures and what he deemed was important.  Sango rolled her eyes at him.

 

 

“He won’t last long,” Miroku mentioned, watching the cop strut around like a rooster. 

 

 

“Yeah when he’s face to face with a demon ready to kill him, if he survives his badge will be on my desk within a week.”

 

 

They both chuckled at that, but neither was feeling overly light hearted. 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Kagome hadn’t stopped crying since she revealed everything to Inuyasha.  He didn’t say anything, he just held her, petting her hair.  There was nothing to say to her.  He wanted to know why she had been hiding everything and she gave him ample reason to hide her past. 

 

 

Her body was weak and shaking, her spirit completely and utterly broken.  She thought she was strong enough to handle what was going to happen, but the last 24 hours had proved that she wasn’t as strong as she thought.  She was broken.  She was a complete mess.  The only thing she could cling on to was Inuyasha. 

 

 

“Kagome, why don’t you take a bath?  You might feel better after a hot soak,” he whispered in her ear. 

 

 

She nodded her head, but was having difficulty standing up.  For some odd reason, now the adrenaline was gone, her legs were incredibly tender.  She looked down to see that the insides of her thighs were full of bite marks.  She started sobbing all over again. 

 

 

“Hang on,” Inuyasha told her, releasing his arms around her and standing up.  He moved over to a dresser and rummaged through.  He found a small bottle and brought it to her, touching his finger to the open top to get a few drops on his finger.  He began to massage the oil into her bite marks, making them tingle. 

 

 

She watched the wounds close up almost immediately, but were still raw when he was finished.  He put the bottle back in the drawer and pulled out a bath bomb.  She watched him go into the bathroom to hear him run the water.  He came back into the room with his shirt off and he picked her up with ease, carrying her to the bathroom.

 

 

“Do you want help?” he asked her.

 

 

She thought about it, slowly nodding her head.  He pulled her clothes off her as gently as he could, seeing her body covered in bruises and bite marks.  He was hating himself more and more, knowing that this was partially his own fault.  He let her get into harm’s way and the results were far worse than he could have ever anticipated. 

 

 

She stepped into the bathtub and turned off the water.  He stripped down and got in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she began to slowly wash her arms. 

 

 

“Is it bad that I don’t really remember anything from last night?” she muttered, pouring the water over herself.

 

 

“No, but from what I can tell, he only bit you and drugged you.  There wasn’t any other foul play.”

 

 

“That’s good,” she said, relieved.  She leaned back into his chest, enjoying the feel of him.  He began to knead her shoulders, feeling the tension in her muscles.  She surrendered to his touch, letting out a moan as his hands worked down her back.  She was full of knots.

 

 

She felt herself relax against him, letting the horrors wash away.  He continued to massage her shoulders and back, kneading the flesh beneath his hands.  She didn’t have any noticeable scars, but he did notice a small, thin scar at the base of her neck.  He ran his finger over it, causing her to shiver.

 

  
“How did you get that scar?” Inuyasha whispered, leaning in to kiss it softly.

 

 

“My grandfather struck me with a riding crop.  It cut the skin pretty deeply.  That was about two weeks before I escaped.”

 

 

“How long were you in New York before going to the dorms?”  he asked, kissing her shoulder.

 

 

She leaned her head back.  “I was telling the truth.  I had gotten off the plane that day.  You met me my first night of freedom.”

 

 

He continued to kiss her shoulder, letting his arms wrap around her waist to pull her flush against him in the warm bath. 

 

 

“I’m surprised that you let me go as far as I did the first time we met,” he whispered, kissing her neck.

 

 

“I was curious.  First and only other time I was with someone, I thought he loved me and he ended up throwing a wad of cash at me.  You didn’t know anything about me and had genuine interest.  It felt different.”

 

 

He moved his hands down to her hips, feeling her skin beneath the water.  She let out a sigh. 

 

“Why do you say it was different?” he asked her. 

 

 

“There was a heat there that wasn’t there when I was with him.  I wanted to be with him, I thought I was in love with him.  But… there was no heat.  I convinced myself there was, but there wasn’t.  I felt nothing but heat with you.”

 

 

“Mmm,” he replied, kissing her cheek.  He kissed her eyelids, her nose, he lightly pecked her on the lips.

 

 

“I’m sorry I got so upset,” she whispered, letting another tear fall. 

 

 

He pulled his face away from hers and lifted his head to meet her gaze.  “Never apologize for that.  You had every right to be upset with me.”

 

 

She shook her head.  “I agreed to do everything, I knew what I was getting into… I just… You never realize how strong your instinct to survive is until you’re in the situation where you might die.  I didn’t want to die.”

 

 

He kissed her, their lips hardly touching.  It was tender, far more tender than any kiss they had ever shared.  Kissing him warmed her body.  It wasn’t the usual heat of strong carnal fire, this was lower, softer, like an ember in a growing, long burning fire.  Before, whenever they kissed, she wanted to wrap her legs around him and let her body take over.  Carnal desire was the motivator for every other time they had been intimate.    


 

This time was different.  She wanted to be intimate with him in a different way.  Their lips parted and they stared at each other through half lidded eyes.  His features were softer than they’ve ever been.  His amber eyes looked darker, his lips were slightly parted, his breath was hot on her face.  She moved her arms to cover herself, feeling bashful of her nakedness.  He leaned in and kissed her again, feeling warmth spread through her body once more.  She had never felt anything like this before, she was hungry for more, but unsure how to continue. 

 

 

She leaned back into him, moving her arm around his neck to pull him closer.  His arms wrapped around her, his hand cupping her jaw, holding her face to his.  The kiss deepened, warming her more, causing her to be closer to him.

 

 

She didn’t know how it happened but suddenly he was carrying her to the bed.  Before she usually felt nervous and would turn off her mind and give in to her body’s desire, but this time she was completely focused on Inuyasha.  He set her down gently, kissing her with a hunger neither of them knew was possible.  However, this wasn’t the typical hunger of lust.  This was the hunger of two lonely people finding one another, wrapping each other in the warmth of love that both had thought would never be found again. 

 

 

His hands explored her body in a new way, memorizing every curve, every scar.  He kissed down her neck, her chest.  He gently sucked on her nipples, his hands caressing her hips.  She let out soft moans as is hands found their way to her center, touching gently.

 

 

His mouth kissed down her stomach, lightly kissing each bruise, each bite on her.  He wanted her to know just how much he cared, how a half demon like him could show his human side.   He face reached the junction between her legs.  He could smell her arousal, drugging him in a haze of lust and desire.  He buried his face between her legs, tasting her.  She let out a loud moan of pleasure as his tongue teased her nub, his finger slowly inserting her, letting her feel even more pleasure.

 

 

The last couple of weeks he had taken notice of what she liked, what she didn’t like.  Now he was exploring her in a way he had never done before.  He lapped up her juices, feeling himself come undone as she squirmed against him, bucking her hips into his face. 

 

 

“Oh Inuyasha,” She moaned, feeling the pressure build up.  He teased her nub more, inserting another finger to tease her even further.  He felt her muscles clench as she let out a moan, her body convulsing and twitching as his name escaped her lips.  He began to kiss up her body again, his hands exploring once more.  She was breathing heavily, and when his face came to hers, she pulled him down to her, kissing him with a hunger that surprised even her.  He slowly entered her, feeling her warmth completely encompass him.  She felt a fullness that she had never felt before.  He kissed her, wrapping his around her to hold her closer.  She flinched from the pain of her legs being so raw from the bites, but he was sure to be more gentle, controlling his movements, giving her everything he was, he is, in unspoken promises.  She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her, moving his hips slowly to savor their moment of pure bliss.

 

 

“Oh, Inuyasha,” she whispered between kisses.  Her fingers tangled in his hair, scratching his scalp, meeting his hips with her own. 

 

 

“I love you, Kagome,” he whispered against her lips, squeezing her tightly. 

 

 

She blushed, arching her back to him.  He buried his face in her neck, lazily thrusting into her.  “I love you Kagome,” he repeated.  “I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.  I don’t want to spend another day without you.”

 

 

She wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to go deeper inside her.  She was afraid to say it back.  She was afraid of ruining the moment.  Most of all, she was afraid this perfect moment wasn’t real.  She had suffered so much loss, so much pain, she didn’t want to suffer any longer.

 

 

He shuddered, emptying himself deep inside of her.  He collapsed on top of her, remaining still for a moment.  She remained silent, unsure of what to say or what to do. 

 

 

He pushed himself off of her, rolling to the side, pulling her to his chest.  She felt like a small child, clinging to him so tightly as she drifted off to sleep.  Neither of them spoke as she closed her eyes, the first time in months that she didn’t have nightmares.  For him, it was the first time in over a century that he didn’t dream of the lost Miko.  Instead, they both shared dreams of pure bliss, enchanting them to continue in a life that seemed too good to be real.

 

 

-*-*-*-

 

 

Sango was at the police department with the chief of police and Inuyasha, police reports in hand.  Sango was tapping her foot impatiently while the police chief read the reports and Kagome’s accounts.  Inuyasha remained uncannily calm.

 

 

“But what evidence do you have that the diplomat was actually in the den?” the chief asked, putting down the reports.

 

 

“We have a first hand witness,” Inuyasha stated.

 

 

“But we need more than a witness in order to pin this guy.  You know that.”

 

 

Sango pounded her fist on the desk.  “SHE IS A FIRST HAND WITNESS!  DO YOU NEED TO SEE THE SCARS HE LEFT ON HER?”

 

 

“One more outburst like that and you’re on unpaid suspension,” the chief shot back.  “Both of you know that for high profile cases like this, we need to have hard evidence.  There’s nothing in the record books, there’s no video, there’s nothing but a 19 year old who was too drugged up to remember anything---“

 

 

“She was forced!  You have all the other girls who were rescued who saw it happen!” Sango screamed.

 

 

The chief pulled his hat off to show his salt and pepper hair, giving a deep sigh as he ran his calloused fingers over his thinning hair.  “Taijiya, you know that my fingers are tied.  We need hard evidence.  Shippo didn’t ever actually see Naraku.  Only your girl did, and I hate to say, I pulled her record.  Not a good choice for a correspondent.  Her testimony would be thrown out just on her prostitution charges alone.”

 

 

Inuyasha squared his shoulders.  “What record?”

 

 

“Not now!” Sango hissed.

 

 

The police chief reached into his desk and pulled out a thick manila folder and placed it on the desk.  “This girl was a perfect girl in school, but the last year she was picked up by the police numerous times for theft, under-aged drinking, prostitution… Honesty, where the hell do you find these girls?”

 

 

Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face.  “I had no idea about any of that stuff.”  The police chief handed Inuyasha the file, who took it with hesitance.

 

 

“To be fair though, her parents are the real work.  They’re notorious mobsters.  Police have been trying to nab them for years without luck.  Very anti-demon too.  I’m surprised she warmed up to you.”

 

 

Inuyasha held the file tightly in his hands.  He was feeling more and more nervous.  “Yeah, me too.”

 

  
Sango bit her lip.  She had read the file. 

 

 

“Sir, we’ll try to find a few other reliable witnesses, or find a way to get pictures.”

 

 

“Good, now get out of my sight.  I don’t want you using that Higurashi girl anymore.”

 

 

Inuyasha went over to his office in the cellar of the police station.  He shared it with two other half demons, both deep undercover.  Inuyasha put the file on his desk and plopped in his chair, staring at the file.

 

 

Finally, he opened it, seeing a picture of Kagome, but not as she looked now.  She looked younger, her cheeks sullen, her eyes lifeless.

 

 

_Name: Kagome Higurashi_

_DOB: 23 April 1992_

_Hair/Eyes: Brown/Brown_

_Ethnicity: Asian_

_Address: 265854 E 2 nd St  
Chinatown, San Francisco, CA_

_Charges:  Public Intoxication- Drinking Under the Age of 21_

_Domestic Violence- Brawling_

_Theft- Under $10,000_

_Prostitution: Offered undercover police officer solicitation of sexual favors for money_

_Trafficking: The sale of under aged persons with the intent of solicitation_

_Domestic Violence- 2 nd Degree, Implied intent to cause bodily injury_

_Reported Missing on August 22 nd, 2011_

_Wanted for the questioning in the death of a one Ayame Takahashi_

Inuyasha stared at the files, his hands shaking.  He didn’t know if she had told him everything.  She mentioned that she sold herself once, that she stole from her family, that she watched a girl beaten to death.  She never mentioned brawling, she never mentioned threats.

 

 

He continued to read the file, seeing that a lot of the charges were on speculation.  The cop who wrote the files could hardly spell, much less write a report.  It also seemed incredibly suspicious.

 

 

What he wasn’t expecting was pictures though.  One picture showed Kagome on a street corner in Chinatown, wearing an oversized parka and what appeared to be nothing else except heels.  Her hair was under a scarf and her cheeks were sullen.  Her legs didn’t look as muscular as they were when she arrived in New York, nor did she look as thin.  This picture hardly looked like the Kagome he had met in August, nothing like the Kagome he knew now.

 

 

But the more he looked at the picture, the more he realized just how dire she had become.  She let someone be murdered in front of her in order to escape.  She was stealing, just to escape.  She put herself in great risk, where she is still in great risk, and was fine with all of it, as long as she got out alive.

 

 

He continued to read the file, seeing that she kept getting let off by different cops, but citations continually given out.  There weren’t any warrants, which was odd considering her charges.  He continued to read through the documents, trying to figure out exactly how California did their Criminal Justice, finding no patterns whatsoever. 

 

 

He realized he was at his desk for a few hours when Sango came down with a cup of coffee.  She sat in the empty chair next to him and crossed her legs, leaning back.

 

 

“I thought the case felt a little forged too,” Sango said in a bored tone, sipping her coffee.  Inuyasha put the file down.

 

 

“It looked like the same cop wrote all the files, and they were all written in the same month.  But the charges were over the course of a full year.  Strange, isn’t it?”

 

 

Sango nodded.  “Her family consisted of mobsters.  Apparently they ran an entire prostitution ring in China Town, bringing over orphans from China, Korea and Japan and selling them here.  They would adopt these kids and as soon as they got to the states, they’d make them work it off.  It’s pretty ballsy to do it that way,” Sango said offhandedly.  “The prostitution charge for Kagome was from a guy named Hojo.  Apparently he reported her for prostitution two weeks after they graduated.”

 

 

He stared at the file.  She mentioned her ex boyfriend’s name was Hojo.  The pieces were connecting a little bit.  “What about the brawling?”

 

 

Sango lifted her eyebrows.  “Brawling?  Kagome?  I didn’t see anything about brawling in the file.”

 

 

Inuyasha pulled the file out and found the citation for brawling.  It was in New York.

 

 

“It says it happened at her work on the night of…” He looked down the citation and saw the date.  “That can’t be right, she wasn’t at work that night.  That was the night she was at my place…”

 

“What night was it?”

 

 

“October 18th.  That’s the night you guys brought her to my place.  We didn’t hook up, but she did spend the night.”

 

 

Sango took the citation and read it herself.  “Inuyasha, the chief wrote this citation out.”

 

 

Inuyasha looked through the other charges.  Some of them had been written in the last two months.  He saw that a lot of the charges were bogus charges too, stating that she stole from a campus store at 2 AM, but he knew for sure that Kagome had been with him on that night. 

 

 

“Sango… he’s in the ring,” Inuyasha said flatly. 

 

 

They both rushed out of the office, leaving the file behind.  They ran to the Chief’s office, only to be met by a demon with red eyes and short black hair.

 

 

“Well, well, well.  I guess you finally figured it out,” Kagura stated.  The small child who talked to Inuyasha before was in front of her, his eyes downcast.  “Return the girl or everyone here will perish.”

 

 


	12. Flesh for the Butcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha goes to tell the chief his findings, only to find out they've all been betrayed.

Kagome awoke in Inuyasha’s bed, wearing only an oversized shirt belonging to Inuyasha and nothing else.  She blushed at what she remembered the night before, and upon looking out the window, saw that it was the middle of the day.

 

            She saw the clock read 11 AM, and she almost shrieked.  She never slept this late.  She realized it was Sunday, she didn’t have work and she didn’t have school, so she could mosey around a bit, but she was wondering where Inuyasha was.  She found a pair of her jeans on the floor and put them on, leaving his shirt on.  Her hair was a mess and her body was still sore from her encounter with Naraku.  She walked out of the bedroom, hoping to see Inuyasha, but didn’t see a trace of him.  She walked into the living room and the kitchen, seeing a plate of fresh fruit waiting for her.  She smiled, knowing that he was thinking of her.  There was a note on the table.

_Kagome,_

_Had to go to the police station, hopefully we can close this case for good.  You may get called into questioning, but it should finally be over when I submit my findings._

_I should be back this afternoon, so take it easy._

_I love you._

_Inuyasha_

 

 

She held the note to her chest, letting a tear fall down her face.  She never thought that she would have someone tell her that before.  She remembered the night before more clearly, a blush touching her cheeks, and she smiled.  He truly loved her, and she knew he wasn’t lying.

She ate the fruit and made a cup of coffee, relaxing in his apartment.  Around 1 pm, she began to get antsy, so she showered and changed into more presentable clothes and left a note on the counter.

_Inuyasha,_

_Thank you for the fruit, I was craving something sweet this morning.  I went back to my dorm, let me know when you get home, I’ll come over.  Maybe we can celebrate the closing of this case._

_I love you too._

_Kagome_

 

 

She knew that actually saying it would be difficult, but she could write it without any issue.  She put on her coat and scarf and left the apartment.  As she was walking the narrow alleys in Manhattan, she was nearing the school when she felt a warm buzzing sensation on her arm.  Suddenly her vision went white and she was on the ground, twitching.  Her body was unresponsive as her world went black, but the last thing she saw was the face of her mother, staring angrily down.

-*-*-*-

 

Inuyasha woke up in a cell, his wrists handcuffed to the bars in front of him.  He looked to his side and saw Sango also chained up in a cell.  The room reeked of vomit and urine, and he knew he was in the holding cell for drunkards.  He looked up and saw the chief and Kagura staring down at him.

 

 

“You know, that Higurashi girl, she had a pretty hefty reward for finding her, from multiple sources,” the chief said, cleaning his nail with a knife.  His eye contact never broke with Inuyasha, who felt his body be engulfed by rage.

 

 

“Oh did she now?” Inuyasha growled.  Sango was passed out, blood staining her forehead.  The smell of his partner’s blood caused his blood to boil that much more.  He tried to break the handcuffs off his wrists but all they did was dig in deeper to his skin.

 

 

He could hear the chief laugh.  “They’re enchanted, you’ll never get out of them.  Her parents were looking for her.  She apparently is worth quite a bit to them.  They didn’t know that there was such a niche market for demons to drink human blood, especially that of Kagome’s.  When they heard how much Naraku was willing to pay to drink from her drugged body, they doubled their reward price.  Naraku was also paying me to get her into the den.  They knew you were interested in her, so we planted everything.

 

 

“We planted the demons in the coffee shop to talk about her when you were listening, we planted spies at the thunder brothers, and of course, we left bugs at Jinenji’s to monitor what herbs she was being given so we knew the dosage to give her when you finally let her in the Thunder brothers.  This has been orchestrated for months now, and you fell straight into it, Inuyasha.”

 

 

Inuyasha felt guilt well up inside of him.  How could he have known that the police were this corrupt?  He thought and realized that he already knew they were this corrupt, but he just didn’t want to believe it.

 

 

“Your brother nearly ruined everything though, he caught on faster than normal, but we took care of his human too.  She’s locked up in an… undisclosed dungeon until the Higurashi girl is safely out of New York.  Your brother gets her back when the deal is done.”

 

  
“And me?  What are you going to do with me?” Inuyasha growled, purple scars appearing on the side of his face.  His body was shaking with anger as he wanted to rip the throat out of the human in front of him.

 

 

Kagura stepped forward, laughing.  “Why, demon police officers die in the field every day and nobody cares.  What do you think they’d think of a half-breed like yourself?  Nobody cares about the halfings.  They’re barely human, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

 

Inuyasha pulled on the handcuffs once more, feeling himself bleed onto the cuffs, creating a lubricant.  He wondered if he could just slip his hand out of the cuffs…

 

 

“Why don’t you go to hell, you burnt-out witch?” Inuyasha cursed between clenched teeth.  She laughed again.  Just then, her phone rang.

 

 

“This is Kagura,” she said into the phone.  A muffled voice could be heard on the other end.  “You got her?  Fantastic.  What do you want me to do with Dog Breath?”

 

The Chief sat on his chair and pulled a flask out of his pocket, pouring an unusually large amount of liquor into his coffee and taking a sip.  “I haven’t decided what to do with the reward yet,” the chief told Inuyasha, just putting salt in the wound now. 

 

 

“Reward?” Inuyasha asked, trying to get the chief to talk.  The more information he could get, the better off he’d be at rescuing Kagome.  He looked over at Sango, completely passed out.  He knew that her life wasn’t in complete danger, but he had to get her out of there. 

 

 

The chief took a sip of his drink.  “Oh, her parents were looking for her when she ran off.  She had too much information.  On top of that, she’s a cute one.  They weren’t selling her body except the one time, but after that girl died, they needed a replacement girl and she was so feisty.  They say you always have to break a stallion to get them to stop being so independent.  They were just breaking her in so she’d listen.  They never thought she’d run away.  Now that they have her back, and they know that the demons are willing to pay so much for the drugs in her system, what better way to break her than get her addicted to something like heroin?  Of course, they’ll closely monitor her so she doesn’t run away again.  I suspect chains will be in order.”

 

 

Inuyasha could barely control his anger.  What kind of people would sell their own child?  And to demons no less?  “So are they leaving New York?”

 

 

The chief laughed.  “After Naraku is finished with her.  He’s paying a heavy sum to the Higurashi’s before they leave.  He said she tastes untainted.  Something he hasn’t found in centuries.  The fact that she’s even that much better with drugs made him hooked on her.  I think her family will have a hard time getting her back from him.  But we’ll see.”

 

 

Kagura returned to the room after closing her phone.  “Come on, we have to get going.  Naraku needs extra guards.  We’ll leave them here for now.  There’s no rush to kill them yet.”  The chief got up, bringing his coffee with him and they left the room, locking the door behind them.   

 

Inuyasha shook his handcuffs angrily.  He fell straight into the trap, endangering Kagome.  Sango may die in this cell because of his pompous and erratic decisions.  The chief said that the handcuffs were enchanted, wondering if the enchantment only worked on demons.  He moved his foot to nudge Sango, who was slowly stirring.

 

“Sango, are you awake?” he asked softly.  She slowly opened her eyes to reveal panic.   Sango opened her eyes and saw that her hands were bound in chains, as well as her feet.  She pushed herself upwards, but he could tell she was dizzy.  She must have been knocked out for a while.

 

“Inuyasha, what happened?”  she mumbled, trying to see if she could slide her hands out of the tightly wrapped chains.

 

“We’ve been betrayed.  The chief was working with Naraku the entire time.  He turned Kagome over to her parents for a reward and they sold her to Naraku.”

 

Inuyasha went into detail about what he was told, and with each passing word, Sango’s face grew angrier.  When he was finished, she was back to her normal self, angry as hell, trying to get out of the chains.

 

“Inuyasha, you know what I hate about demons?  They don’t think we humans are crafty and we’re ill prepared,” She said, a sharp edge to her voice as she reached into her hair to pull out a bobby-pin.  She started to pick the padlock that held the chains together, and after a few moments, the lock clicked open and she removed the chains from her wrists.  She rubbed her wrists for a moment and began to work on the chains on her legs.  “They always fucking underestimate us, it’s almost embarrassing how easy these goddamn chains are…”

 

“Why the fuck are you complaining?” Inuyasha practically yelled.  He couldn’t be more relieved.  She moved to his handcuffs, but as soon as she touched them, the sparked at her.

 

“Aha!  Enchanted.  Sorry Inuyasha, I may not be able to get yours off.  Unless…” She moved to the gate and picked the lock, opening it just enough to get out and felt around the desk that the chief had been sitting at.  She knew there had to be something…

 

“Sango if you could hurry up, I don’t know when they’re going to be back,” he barked at her.  She waived her hand at him, ignoring his remark until she found what she was looking for.  She found a pink key that was glowing in the bottom drawer of the desk that looked like it could be a match for the handcuffs Inuyasha was using.

 

“You can’t pick enchanted locks, but you can use the key!” she exclaimed, leaning down and unlocking the handcuffs on Inuyasha’s wrists.  As soon as the handcuffs were off, he rubbed his wrists to get feeling back into his hands.  He stood up and left the cell, Sango following close behind.

 

 

  He wasn’t expecting it to be the middle of the night.  The normal sounds of New York filled his ears.  He took a deep breath, catching the smells of demons and humans intertwined. 

 

“Sango, get on my back, we need to move fast,” he remarked.  She climbed on his back and he took off, jumping from building to building until he reached his penthouse, entering through a window.  Myouga was pacing in his bedroom, a look of concern on his face. 

 

 

“Myouga, take care of Sango,” He said before Myouga could say anything.  Inuyasha’s wrists were already healed, but were caked in dried blood.  “Call Jinenji and bring him here, his place is bugged and nobody can know we escaped yet.”

 

“Inuyasha I’m fine!” Sango insisted, but he glared at her.

 

“I think that Rin is being held captive by vampires.  Not a good idea to send a pretty human girl in there.”

 

Sango thought about it for a moment, and there was a complete police ban on female officers entering vampire clubs.  More often than not, when bodies were found that were attacked by vampires, they were of young women with all of their blood drained.  While Sango knew she could hold her own, the day’s events were dragging on her and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, her head began to ache where she had been hit.

 

“You win this round, Inuyasha.”

 

 

Inuyasha smiled for about half a second then picked up his house phone and called his brother.

 

 

“Inuyasha I can’t talk now, they’ve got Rin---,” Sesshoumaru began to say, but Inuyasha cut him off.

 

 

“She’s in some sort of dungeon, they won’t give her back until Kagome is out of New York, and Naraku is feeding on Kagome as we speak.  She’s been kidnapped by her family and is being sold.”

 

 

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a minute, and Inuyasha knew that he was shaking in anger.  “I’ll find them.  I have a pretty good idea where Naraku is.  And he specifically said Dungeon?  It might be code for the Vampire’s Dungeon.  They have a nasty habit of holding humans in cells for meals.  Fucking Vampires.”

 

 

“I can’t rescue Kagome until Rin is safe.  I’ll be at the Dog’s Den in ten minutes.”

 

 

He hung up the phone and grabbed a towel, cleaning off the caked blood from his wrists.  He heard a knock at the door and was greeted by a red haired man with thick-rimmed glasses and grease stained clothes. 

 

 

“Come inside,” Inuyasha said, leading Jinenji into the main parlor.   Jinenji pulled out a sugar cube and bit down, slowly turning into his normal huge size. 

 

“By the way, Jinenji,” Inuyasha said, addressing the red head, “Your place has been bugged so it’s no longer safe.”

 

 

“I found a few of them, but I have no idea how many there are,” he replied.  “I’ll stay here with Sango and make sure she’s alright.  You go save Kagome and Rin.”

 

 

Inuyasha walked to the kitchen and a note caught his eye.  He read Kagome’s handwriting and felt his emotions rise up in his chest.  He traced the worlds, “I love you too” over and over again.  He had lost the love of his life once, he wasn’t about to let it happen again.  A tear slipped from his eye and he quickly wiped it away.  He wasn’t going to let it end this way.  He couldn’t. 

 

 

He walked out the front door of his penthouse, taking the elevator down.  He was going to the Vampire’s Dungeon to save Rin first.  Once Rin was safe, he would be able to save Kagome. 

 

-*-*-*-

 

Kagome woke up in a daze.  Her body ached all over and the room was dark.  She tried to move and found that her wrists were bound.  She tried to move her legs and they were bound in shackles.  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out that she was chained to a wall.  She realized she was alone in the room and there was nothing but a bucket in the corner for, what she presumed, was to relieve herself.

 

Fear grasped her heart, not knowing where she was or what was going to happen.  She felt filthy, her clothes smelling rancid and her body covered in bruises.  She tried to loosen up the ties on her wrists, but it was no use.  Her hands were barely able to move and untying the knot would be damn near impossible.  She began to chew on the rope, but her teeth weren’t sharp enough to cut it. 

 

She began to cry, feeling helpless.  She kept kicking her legs, willing the chains to break off the wall, but with no such luck.  Heavy sobs wracked her body as she pulled at the chains in frustration.

 

“LET ME OUT!  PLEASE!  IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME PLEASE LET ME OUT!” she screamed the top of her lungs, her voice cracking from the sobs.  She heard footsteps come towards the door, and when the door opened her heart sank.  Standing before her was her mother with an angry look on her face.

 

“Kagome, nobody can hear you.  You’ve been a naughty girl, running away from home and worrying us.  This is for your own good.”

 

“None of this is for me!” she hissed.  “If you cared about me you wouldn’t have me in chains!  If you cared you wouldn’t have sold me!”

 

“Oh honey… it’s just business.  You need to realize that we all have a place in this world, and yours is here with us.  Our family has been doing this for centuries, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

 

“It’s slavery,” Kagome spat, her body shaking with rage.  Her fear was diminishing the longer she spoke to her mother, who was eerily calm.

 

“It is slavery, but we’re the slavers.  Nobody cares about widows and orphans.  Nobody misses them, they’re a burden on society.  We give them a purpose.”

 

“You sell their flesh like a butcher!”

 

“Only when they can’t work anymore,” Kagome’s mother corrected, making Kagome’s face falter.

 

“Now, I didn’t realize how special you were,” Kagome’s mother continued.  Pulling a needle and syringe out of her pocket.  Kagome backed up towards the wall as her mother came closer.  “You see, we never sold our girls to demons because, well, we didn’t want those filthy half-breeds running around to take care of.  Babies can be resold, but nobody will pay for a half-breed.  But I didn’t know that your blood was so special.  Untainted, that diplomat said.  Pure, fresh, revitalizing.  Now I wonder why you’re so special, my dear?  Anyway, he’s paid us more money than we’ve ever seen in a lump sum to enjoy you for the next two days, and we don’t want to disappoint him.”

 

Kagome’s mother lowered herself so she was inches from Kagome’s face.  “You do as you’re ordered, or that half-breed bastard and his friend die.  And you’ll watch just like you watched Ayame die.  Am I understood?”

 

Kagome spit in her mother’s face.  She wiped the spit off and looked at her hand, taking a moment to consider her daughter’s actions.  Within an instant, Kagome’s face was stinging from the slap her mother retaliated with. 

 

“That’s a warning,” her mother said sternly.  “Next time it’s the riding crop.”  Kagome didn’t move, knowing that her mother was serious.  She hoped that Inuyasha could escape, but she knew that if he was captured and being held hostage, her running away again would result in his death.  She didn’t know which friend they had, which made her all the more nervous.  She felt her mother stick the needle in her arm, and within a moment she felt the drug’s effects.  Her body no longer felt like it was in pain and she felt pure euphoria.  She laid down on the floor in a daze, feeling the drugs lift her spirit high, unable to properly move.  Her mother unlocked the shackles and forced her on her feet.  She was wobbly, unsure of what to do or where to go when her mother led her to another room with a couch and Naraku.

 

Naraku licked his lips in delight as his treat was brought to him.  Kagome was shoved down to sit on the couch, her hair roughly moved to the side as Naraku bit down on her shoulder, tasting her blood in his mouth, feeling the euphoric effects on himself.

\

“Oh Kagome,” Naraku mumbled against her neck as her blood flooded his mouth.  She tasted like springtime in the feudal era, before pollution destroyed the humans and demons alike.  She tasted like humans tasted centuries ago, filling him with the unnatural euphoria heroin delivers.  His body felt light as he felt the human blood digest with the drugs.  Kagome was in a daze, her body unfeeling, a single tear slipping down her cheek as he had his way lapping up her blood.

 

Kagome’s mother looked on with a stone face.  Naraku looked at the older woman and hissed.

 

“Leave us be.”

 

Kagome’s mother bowed low and left the room.  Naraku’s hands wandered Kagome’s body, memorizing every curve as he continually licked at her wounds.  He couldn’t believe how easily her family sold her, but then again, humans always surprised him.     She reminded him of the priestess he has slaughtered in cold blood centuries ago, which is likely why the half-breed was so interested in her.  She smelled and tasted just as the priestess had.

 

He continued to drink her blood, riding the high, as she lay passed out next to him.  This was, by far, the best tasting human he had ever encountered.

 

He wasn’t going to let this one go so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Kagome's mother is really, really OOC, as well as her grandfather, but I really needed them OOC for this story. I know Inuyasha is a bit OOC as well, but I think that he would have matured over the hundreds of years. I hope you liked this chapter, there are two more chapters of this story before it's over. Come back and read it!


	13. The Queen Anne's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have to trade a cursed object to get Rin back... but where's Kagome?

The Queen Anne’s Revenge, also commonly known as the Vampire’s Dungeon, was one of the top Vampire hang outs in New York. While located in Brooklyn, where the vast majority of vampires in New York lived, was located close to the Brooklyn Bridge, with a perfect view of the harbor. 

 

The Queen Anne’s Revenge was the only paranormal club exempt from paying taxes in the city of New York for one very nefarious reason--- the owner, Edward Teach, turned anyone who asked for taxes into a vampire and would hold them in his underground dungeons for weeks. After the second man was ballsy enough to ask for taxes, Teach thought it would be entertaining to torture him for weeks until he begged for death, then turning him into a vampire and using one of his collections of cursed objects to drive him to madness, then swiftly killing him. When he was human, he was known as an usually bloodthirsty and cruel pirate. As a vampire, he’s been a vicious mob boss who, while not entirely blood thirsty, could be easily bribed and one of the best business men in New York. 

 

The bottom line was that nobody crossed Blackbeard as a pirate, and especially nobody crossed him as a vampire. 

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stood outside the Queen Anne’s Revenge Nightclub for a solid five minutes, trying to figure out if it was worth their lives going in. If they were unsuccessful, there was a good chance that they would both die and the girls entrapped would perish. Sesshoumaru had Jaken with him, the two headed staff pulled out of storage for this particular visit, and Inuyasha holding onto the robe of the firerat, hoping that one of these items would be able to bargain for Rin’s freedom, if of course, she were here.

 

“Well, there’s no time to waste,” Inuyasha stated under his breath, his body shaking. Sesshoumaru kept his visage of nonchalance, but Inuyasha knew that he was scared too. The pirate had made it clear over the years he did not like demons, and would refuse to recruit them into his inner circle. While most vampires and demons got along well enough, the fact that Black beard was the exception made most paranormal creatures avoid him.

 

A ghost stood guard outside the building. He was mostly transparent, looking almost like a mist. The more intricate details of his pirate clothes showed that he may have served under Black Beard when he was alive and was asked to stay in this world to continue to serve the barbaric vampire. The ghost remained emotionless as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru measured him up.

 

“We were expecting you sooner, go to the back. Teach is waiting for you.”

 

This confirmed the suspicions of Rin being detained in the dungeon. The chance that Rin was here, and hopefully alive, gave them the bravado needed to move forward.

 

A pirate’s mast was in the center of the stage as a woman wearing red lingerie danced. Her hair was long and blonde, touching her lower back and her blood-red lipstick accented her pale face. It took Inuyasha a moment to notice her fangs, and the men at the tables watching here were awestruck at her dancing. The tables were lit by candles in jars, with barrels as chairs. They head to the side of the stage through a door that said “office,” and behind the desk was Blackbeard.

 

His hair was black and smoking, his eyes deep set and eerily cold, while the strange stitching around his neck would confirm legend of his initial death. Edward Teach, better known to history as Black Beard, was not a force to be reckoned with.

 

“Gentlemen,” Teach said in an accent that has long been lost to history.

 

Inuyasha and Sessshoumaru bowed deeply to the pirate. While both men had easily 500 years on Teach, his brutal tactics were heard worldwide, and even reached their ears in Japan. They knew that Rin’s life was hanging in a delicate balance, and it would only be by the good graces of the blood thirsty vampire in front of them that would will her to live.

 

“Captain, I hope that you could help us,” Inuyasha said, still in the deep bow. He looked up and saw that Blackbeard was stroking the smoking mass on his face. He smiled to show what looked like rotting teeth and perfect white fangs. The combination was a bit of a visual trick, but vampires were known to grow new fags every few years, while the rest of their teeth stayed the same from when they were alive. He was dressed as a pirate captain from the 1700s, which was the height of his piracy. He stopped stroking his beard after seeing Inuyasha shaking in fear, pulling out a cigar and lighting it. Inuyasha knew not to move until he had been properly released from his bow. There had been stories of men being cursed for not showing the proper respect. While this was incredibly difficult for Sesshoumaru, who normally bowed to no one, they both stayed in the deep bow.

 

“Sit down you fools,” Blackbeard barked, taking a puff of his cigar. The men straightened themselves up and sat in the chairs opposite of the mahogany desk. Papers were strewn everywhere and the lighting was dim in the room. Light reflected off of the demons hair, and a single candle was lit on the desk. The chandelier was also lit by candles, giving the room an eerie feel, hiding the secrets within.

 

“I think you know why we’re here,” Sesshoumaru said in a bored tone. Blackbeard grunted.

 

“Yes, the girl is here. I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner.”

 

“Well, when we heard dungeon, you’re the only one with a semi-decent dungeon in the city,” Sesshoumaru responded.

 

Blackbeard considered his statement, choosing his next words carefully. “Yes, she is quite a beautiful girl. I’m surprised at you though, Sesshoumaru. You would think that a noble demon like yourself would not take kindly to mere mortals. As delectable as she is, she is still nothing more than a human. What makes her so special?”

 

Sesshoumaru twitched, wanting to rip the heart out of the vampire before him, but stopping himself.

 

“She’s his best bartender,” Inuyasha lied. “Do you know how hard it is to find a bartender in a demon club who’s any good?”

 

Blackbeard let out a laugh. “Probably as difficult as finding a good Vampire bartender. These new fruity drinks that humans like are fucking impossible for vampires to conjure up. What happened to just drinking the rum straight?”

 

“Look, we need her back for the final fights, what can we do to get her back?” Inuyasha said, trying to bargain with Blackbeard.

 

“Well, to hold her I was paid a handsome ransom. And I’m also supposed to inform the demons who captured her when you made an appearance here…”

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged looks. They figured there might be a trap, but they were unsure of where this conversation was going. 

 

“So you’re not going to tell them we’re here?” Sesshoumaru asked.

 

Blackbeard let out a laugh. “I’m not going to tell them you’re here. However, if you can beat their price, I’ll let the girl go. Tell me, what do you think they offered me to hold the girl?”

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru didn’t have the slightest clue what they could have offered Blackbeard. They knew that he usually wasn’t interested in money. He had a large collection of cursed objects---once a pirate, always a pirate. He loved everything that glittered and he loved human misery, why not combine the two? 

 

“I’m assuming a girl who tasted as sweet as when you first became a vampire,” Sesshoumaru said dully. 

 

Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed. “You would think, but I have that already. No, they offered me a demon puppet from the feudal era of Japan. Quite a little trinket, but delicate so I can’t properly use it to cause a little chaos… But it is something I’ve been looking for…”

 

Blackbeard wasn’t even being slightly subtle with what he was after. Sesshoumaru placed the two headed staff on Blackbeard’s desk, causing Blackbeard to gaze at it in awe. “Is that the Nintojo?”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded. “I’m sure you know the history of it,” Sesshoumaru said dully.

 

Blackbeard couldn’t hide his smile. He reached out to touch it, but Sesshoumaru snatched it away. “I need to have your word that Rin will be released, unharmed, without the demons being alerted, before I even consider you touching it, much less keeping it.”

 

Blackbeard glared at Sesshoumaru, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. A few moments later, they heard footsteps from behind his desk and a secret door was opened, a man gruffly handling Rin. She was wearing her normal white and orange checkered kimono, but she had bruising on her wrists and dried blood along her mouth. Her eye was swollen shut from likely being roughly handled, and when she looked up and saw Sesshoumaru, she smiled.

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru!” she said gleefully, before being slapped hard on the face by the man who was bringing her into the room.

 

“You will not speak unless spoken to!” the man yelled. Blackbeard held up his hand.

 

“Where are your manners? She is our guest. Do not handle her roughly again.”

 

Sesshoumaru’s face remained unchanged, but Inuyasha saw that his claws were elongated at the sight of his lover. 

 

“Release her,” Sesshoumaru stated, his voice deepened from his anger. Blackbeard smiled.

 

“Ah, I see now. Give me the staff and I’ll release her.”

 

“I want your word that you won’t tell the other demons she’s been released.”

 

“You have my word,” Blackbeard said, leaning back in his chair. He folded his hands on his stomach and gave them a dark smile, taking the staff from Sesshoumaru’s hands. He snapped his fingers and Rin was thrown to the floor. Sesshoumaru helped her up and she stood behind him, grasping his arm tightly. 

 

“You see, you don’t have to worry about me calling them, because I already called them the moment you walked into my establishment. They already know that you’ve found this girl. No need to break my word.”

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged worried looks. The three of them ran out of the office to see the night club fill with demons of every kind. Towards the entrance was Kagura, wearing a navy blue kimono and holding up a fan.

 

“I see you found the girl, but you’ll never find the one Naraku fancies,” Kagura sneered, raising her fan above her head. She waved her fan, sending slices of air at the trio. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha blocked Rin, taking the full brunt of the attack. While they weren’t out for the count, both demons were badly injured. Sesshoumaru lifted his claws, glowing green with poison and he lunged forward at incredible speed, thrusting his hand into Kagura’s chest, releasing poison into her heart.

 

She screamed, dropping her fan, and Inuyasha used his blades of blood, showering the room with demonic energy, killing most of the demons in the club. The patrons who were vising the bar were hiding under tables, flabbergasted at what was happening, unsure of what to do. 

 

Sesshoumaru ripped out Kagura’s heart, squeezing the still beating flesh in his claws as she collapsed in front of him. He dropped the heart and turned to look at Rin and Inuyasha.

 

“Rin, are you alright?” Sesshoumaru asked, a hint of concern in his icy voice.

 

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. We need to find Kagome.”

 

The three walked out of the bar to an empty street, running quickly to Taisho’s Dog den as fast as they could so they could formulate the next part of their plan.

 

-*-*-

 

Kagome lay on the couch next to Naraku, her mind in a haze, her body covered in bite marks. Naraku in his own high, his hands on Kagome. He was to go back to Japan the next day, and he had enjoyed his time in New York. The times he had left Kagome, he had been working with other diplomats on improving demon-human relations, but the fact of the matter is he couldn’t care less about how they interacted. He wanted demons to rule the world, fuck the rest of them.

 

However, humans were crafty with drugs, and this girl in particular was a sweet morsel. While he enjoyed tasting the flesh of humans, many demons would indulge their sexual fantasies, something that Naraku found disgusting. There was only one human ever that he felt sexual desires for, back when he was a human, and while this girl looked and smelled like his beloved Kikyo, she was a sloppy imitation.

 

By the end of the second day, they had remained mostly uninterrupted, but Kagura had been missing for a full day. He thought he felt her presence ebb into nothingness, which means he’s down a henchman, but she was inconsequential. 

Kanna, Kagura’s younger sister, guarded the hotel room where the Higurashi girl was being kept. When Naraku was gone, her parents put her in chains and continued to drug her to ensure her full cooperation. He wouldn’t mind a little fight, he thought to himself. A little fight always made it that much more fun.

 

After his last meeting, Naraku returned to his hotel room, loosening his tie from his long inky locks of hair. Kagome was laying on the bed, unconscious from the drugs. Not quite overdosing, but definitely too high to realize what was happening. He heard a knock at the door, and he turned his attention to that.

 

“You may come in,” he said dully. Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the room. 

 

“Your liege,” she said, giving a low bow. “I must say that this is your last evening with Kagome, please refrain from putting more bite marks on her, or at least, put them where they’re not noticeable. There are several demons who which to try her and we can’t be having our goods completely marked up---,” Mrs. Higurashi said politely, only to be cut off by Naraku. 

 

“She’s not going back to you, she’s coming with me to Japan.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi’s eyebrows raised in question. “We never agreed to that. You paid for two days with her---“

 

“Yes, and I changed my mind. Kanna will compensate you an appropriate price for the girl and she will no longer be your burden.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her daughter with concern. “Will you kill her?”

 

Naraku shrugged. “Eventually, but she’s a great plaything now. What is it to you? You already sold her multiple times, I’m putting an end to selling her. She’s my property now and you would be best to leave before I decide to take you as well.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi bowed lowly again, noticing the rent tint to Naraku’s eyes with his thinly veiled threat. She left the room, and Naraku went to the bed, touching Kagome’s face.

 

“Yes, you’ll do nicely for quite some time. Fret not, my dear Kagome.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi stood outside the door, unsure of what to do. Kanna appeared before Mrs. Higurashi a moment later with a briefcase filled with cash. 

 

“Five hundred thousand should be enough for the girl,” Kanna stated, handing Mrs. Higurashi the briefcase. “You won’t interfere again.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi took the briefcase, her hands shaking. 

 

What have I done?

-*-*-

Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Rin were in the basement of the Dog Den, looking at a map of New York. 

 

“I thought I heard he was staying at the Hilton in Manhattan,” Inuyasha grumbled, looking for hotels near time square. 

 

“No, that’s too obvious a location,” Sesshoumaru grumbled. Rin sat on the table, her eye no longer swollen and her bruises a deep green and blue color from the healing. 

 

“I’m telling you, he’s going back to Japan in the morning, we should do a sting operation at the airport and detain him. He may want to bring Kagome back to Japan---“

 

“He wouldn’t risk something like that,” Inuyasha spat. “Illegally bringing a girl back. She’s supposedly going back to San Francisco with her family. We have to find her tonight.”

 

“But what if they offered a lot and her parents outright sold her? It’s not unheard of Inuyasha,” Rin reasoned with Inuyasha. “I can almost guarantee you that he’s taking her to Japan.”

 

At that moment, they heard a knock at the door of the club basement. Both demons looked at each other with curiosity. Who would be coming there this time of night?

 

Rin opened the door to be face to face with the little half-demon boy from the Thunder Brother’s Fights and Lights. His blonde hair was disheveled and his clothes looked like rags hanging on his lanky body. His pale pink eyes looked tired, and the little boy looked more worried than before.

 

“I know where the girl is,” he whispered. “I don’t want to work for them anymore.”

 

They led him inside and he sat on a chair, his feet dangling a few inches off the floor. Rin brought him a sandwich and some juice, and after devouring the food, the little boy began to cry.

 

“I didn’t know they were going to torture her,” he sobbed, covering his face with his arm. 

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged looks. “How do you know who we’re looking for?”

 

The little boy sniffled, wiping his tears away with his sleeve. “I can read minds. I saw what they did to the nice human girl.”

 

Inuyasha kneeled in front of the boy, placing his hands on the boys shoulders. “You need to tell us where she’s at. We want to help her.”

 

The little boy began to cry again. “He’s taking her to Japan tonight. On a private jet leaving from the big airport. The one named after a president…”

 

“JFK airport,” Rin provided, her face looking worried.

 

“He wasn’t supposed to leave until tomorrow,” Sesshoumaru reasoned. The little boy was shaking now.

 

“Since he’s taking the nice human with him, he wants to get out of New York before anyone finds out.” 

 

Inuyasha made himself eye level with the demon boy. “I need you to tell me what time they’re leaving, it’s already really late.”

 

The boy sniffled, looking at Inuyasha. “They’re leaving at dawn. Right as the sun rises. Naraku will only leave when the sun rises.”

 

Inuyasha looked at his phone, he only had four hours before they left to Japan. 

 

“Sesshoumaru, call the airport and lock it down so no planes can leave. Ground every plane and shut it down. Rin, I need you to start calling every available demon and paranormal being to surround the airport when he arrives.”

 

Inuyasha started dialing every police department in New York. He was shutting it down, this trafficking ring was ending.

 

He was bringing Kagome home.


End file.
